Yesterday was Sabbath, but the pain in my heart did not drive me to the pulpit or to the pews of my church in Lavington. The pain in my heart drove me to Narok town to trace and find the man whose daughter perished in the Utumishi Girls fire incident in Gilgil.
Dennis Nyakeri, a tour operator and Rebecca Maina, a pastor, were in a church service at home when I arrived. I avoided eye contact with Dennis when I was ushered in to sit, because in seeing his pain, I was going to lose my ‘manliness’ and shed a tear of communal grief 😪😪😪.
In that service, even as the founders of Fountain of Life Church Bishop Mureu and his dear wife spoke, one could feel a sense of emptiness, pain, anger and confusion. It is the pain that makes one question God. It was the kind of pain that seemed for a moment to obscure the clarity of Jesus Christ.
A parent of another child at Utumishi who was a close friend of Sheryl (the departed girl), recounted their conversation with Dennis earlier. She said Dennis referred to the Bible’s Psalm 90:10 which states that “The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength...". And then Dennis paused and asked, where does 15 years come in😪😪😪??? How does God allow my 15 year old to die!!😫😫😫😭😭😭😭😭
At that point, I had lost it all. I broke down. When I stood to speak, I was a mess, I must confess. I told them that I did not know anyone there. I had never met Dennis, nor his wife my whole life. I am not a parent in Utumishi. I am not from Narok and own nothing in that county. I am not a fellow tour operator of Dennis. I am not Kisii as Dennis, neither am I kikuyu as his dear wife. I do not fellowship with their
Church. I was just a man, who felt the pain of his fellow man😭😭😭😭, took himself alone, to go and share this Jesus and to take love to a wounded soul.
Friends, the pain in that home cannot be compared to any I have seen in many days. The pain endured in identifying one’s child when it’s all ashes, breaks me to the bone 😭😭😭😭😭. Jesus, please come and heal the parents whose children died in that inferno😪😪😪. Please come Lord. Please come.
For the many who reached out with information about Dennis, thank you for helping me find him. For the hundreds of you who sought how they may help and chip in, please send your support to Dennis’s number: 0794589354. Please send your generous and kind support. 😭😭😭.
Those in Narok, please visit with this family and share cheer and comfort. God bless you all. #MenForMen #HealingJourney #GodInAllThings
From yesterday, I have been holding my heart and breath for this man😪😪. I don’t know him, but my attempts to figure out his pain still fail by a whole mile. Actually, I don’t know his pain. I can imagine it, I can try and figure out its depth, I can attempt to sketch the turmoil, rage, anger, anxiety and sense of loss of this gentleman. But I am unable to truly comprehend his extent of pain😢😢😢 that this parent of Utumishi Girls Gilgil.
You see, the loss of any child is grotesquely painful. One child dead is a child too many. The loss of a child defies the norms of nature, which is that children should bury their parents, and not the vice versa.
One may struggle to comprehend the ‘madness’ of this man. I don’t know the full story. What I know is that some of these children we see and are blest to have, were products of many years of prayers. Some came to their parents after trying for many years and were the blessings that defied all village talk of barrenness. Some have been the only children who survived deaths that had claimed their older siblings at a tender age. Some may have been lone survivors of an inferno or disease that swept the entire family. Some children may be the only memory of a spousal partner who died at their prime in life. You may not know why the man had such hysteria and anxiety attack. What I know, is that the death of even a single child to a parent blest with tens of children, is deeply painful and leaves a wound that can never be healed easily😩😩😩.
This morning, my heart reaches out to him. I’m still clinging on the hope for life for his dear daughter, even when my innermost heart fears for the worst. But I am praying that this inferno was not caused by juvenile arsonists. I am praying that the allegations of some students having started the fire because they were denied celebrations of Eid-al-Adha is just some pep talk that is unfounded. I am praying that this was an accident, and not a premeditated incident. Because I am unsure how the parents of the children who perished will heal, if it were to be established that other students plotted to murder their colleagues.
Dear Lord, reach out to this man and all parents who have suffered the agony of waiting today. Please keep our children safe Jesus. Heal the parents who have to bear the unkindness of burying their children😭😭😭
Pole sana to those affected.
This is how KLM behaves all over Africa. I used to have to fly KLM alot and it happened on every flight.
If you can avoid this airline, please do.
CALIBRATION is a very critical virtue in leadership especially during crises. It is the wisdom of knowing WHAT to say, WHAT NOT to say, as well as WHEN and HOW to do either.
@ntsa_kenya this public can will kill innocent lives. It was almost rammed into by a lorry because it has no parking or break lights at all. I feel sad that it carried excess passengers and risked their lives in this unfortunate manner. Kindly don’t wait until lives have been lost
Former CAS David Osiany narrates how one time he sneaked in the Late Raila Odinga at KICC when State resources were deployed to block and lock him out at a time everyone was lining up to recieve Raila Odinga only for The People’s President to alight from the car throwing everyone to the drawing board.
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.
I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.
It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC.
May God bless America.
Any parents whose children are captured here assaulting a younger boy in school, should themselves parade their sons and beat the pulp out of them in full assembly at school to serve as an example of setting standards for characters that are unacceptable. This is tragic and sad!!
This is so wrong and the parents of this kid should sue the goons in this video who are also students... Reports say this is Merishaw School... Who is the headteacher and what action has he taken? Cc @DCI_Kenya@EduMinKenya
Sir Geoffrey Cox (KC). Member of Parliament for Torridge and Tavistock. Pure oratory prowess punctuated with flare, patriotism and a dash of pomp! Beautiful art. His passion is not lost in his poise. What a compelling call to preserve the jury.
Prof Anyang' Nyong'o: Generational contest within ODM should refine, not frighten, us. A movement that cannot debate cannot think. One that cannot reproduce leadership cannot reproduce relevance. Young leaders questioning old assumptions is renewal, not rebellion. But generational change must not become amnesia. The new must study the old. The old must mentor the new.
Read the full story: https://t.co/l1S0CzuWD5
I thank His Excellency Antonio Guterres, @antonioguterres the United Nations Secretary General for appointing me as the next Executive Director of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Director General of UN office in Vienna @UN_Vienna.
I appreciate the Secretary General’s confidence in my ability to steer these two important offices at the Under Secretary General level, at this critical point.
Coming on the eve of the International Women’s Day, this appointment is demonstrative of the UNSG’s belief in women leadership.
I sincerely thank H.E. President William Ruto @WilliamsRuto for the confidence he bestowed upon me in serving him as his, and the first, National Security Advisor of the Republic of Kenya, as Secretary to the National Security Council, and for enabling me to take this global assignment, demonstrating yet again his belief in Kenya making its contribution to the community of nations.
I look forward to serving at this new mandate diligently and flying Kenya’s flag high, to the best of my ability.
Thank You Kenya for preparing me to serve humanity!
Today I paid a courtesy call on my brother and good friend @g_odundo, the Group CEO & MD of @NationAfrica.
Always a pleasure connecting with you brother. Keep fixing the nation. #FixingTheNationNTV
@duntezokot@KlayKlothing Don’t fall for this. That’s my picture and the cloth was done by @africanfabrica1. Please grow, but tell the truth. Don’t mislead people on this app. Thank you very guided.