The Preacher of Peace

Soon after the post-election violence in Kenya started, Ochieng’ Nyawire took up the role of roving peace-maker in the streets of his Kiambui neighbourhood, armed only with his Bible and his prayers. He argued endlessly for peace, facing down angry police officers and equally angry neighbours as he preached reconciliation and calm even at the height of the violence. I asked him what led him to take up such a potentially dangerous role and he gave me one of those unsatisfying answers: basically, he said he did it ‘just because.’ When I prodded further, looking for some more existentially satisfying answer, he said it was ‘just his nature.’ However, he describes himself primarily as a preacher in the Christian Family Church “I am Timothy’s helper,” he said. The large Bible on the table before him was testament to his devotion.

Ochieng’ Nyawire is a 37 year old father of two boys. His Kiambui neighbourhood is one of the many impoverished urban settlements that dot the city of Nairobi and hold 60% of its 3 million people. Kiambui is in Eastleigh South Location within Kamkunji constituency. It borders the Airforce base on one side, Uhuru Estate on another. and Buru Buru Phase One on a third. It is divided into 4 subsections called Kosovo ( where Luos predominate), Sagana (Kikuyus ), Nyamira (Kisii) and Vihiga (Luhyia)

In relating his tireless activities as a preacher of peace in the different sections of Kiambui, Ochieng’ talks without anger and bitternes, even though he himself had been threatened with violence and reprisals during the worst of the violence. To him, Kiambui is a place where violent death takes place beside acts of unbelievable generosity and love. A life is lost and another life is saved, just as easily. In addition to narrating his own efforts to bring peace to his neighbourhood, Ochieng’ relates many incidents when he was sheltered by Kikuyu people who remained his friends. He sought them out purposefully when he found himself in the middle of a bout of violence in the wrong locale. He talks of these encounters with a simple matter-of-factnesss that belies the terrible events that have been taking place outside the flimsy mabati structure keeping him safe. .

“I was at home in Kiambui when the violence started on the night of 29th December, ,” Ochieng’ says.

When they announced Kibaki as President and had the swearing-in ceremony, I was worshiping with my wife, praying for calm in Kenya. People heard us and took it as celebration that “our” president had been sworn in. Missiles thrown at us. We were attacked. We remained indoors behind locked gates until the next morning. There was gunfire outside and a lot of noise and commotion. .

The next morning, I woke up and went outside my compound around six am. I saw terrible destruction all around me. Many buildings had demolished and razed to the the ground. There had been much looting of residential houses and business in the Kosovo area. Most of the structures that had been attacked belonged to Kikuyus and a few belonged to Kambas. I was heading in the direction of Sagana but there was a contingent of the dreaded General Service Unit (GSU) in the area.

The GSU and police had shot and killed a man who was apparently too drunk to obey orders. The man shot was said to be from the Luo tribe and the police officer who shot him was said to be a Kikuyu. . This made people in the neighbourhood very angry and raised tensions to volatile levels. I talked to the police and GSU and asked them not to use force on the people because it would only raise temperatures. I was afraid of what might happen.

Fortunately, the GSU listened to me. They had been telling people to stay indoors, but I also made them understand that people felt that it was actually dangerous to remain indoors, because they afraid that they would be attacked by the Mungiki militia.

I asked the police to patrol along the river that divides Kosovo from City Carton which is predominantly Kikuyu and to stop the residents of the other slum called City Carton from coming across the river. . The Police consented to undertake this patrol, but when they tried, they found that the residents had barricaded the way and would not let the police and GSU through. However, I went and negotiated with these residents, and after our discussions, they allowed the GSU access to patrol.

I could see that it was a very dangerous situation. The police and GSU had guns. I did not want the GSU to unleash violence on the people. It was like a tinderbox—any small thing could have set off even more serious repercussions. The people living in Kosovo are proud of their reputation of never retreating from a fight or a confrontation.

Negotiating for a peaceful resolution with the residents of Kiambui and the GSU went on for forty minutes. Many of the people in Kosovo were not happy with me. They did not want me to reason with the security officers. They were ready for confrontation. They felt I was trying to appease the police and colluding with ‘these people who have stolen the Presidency from us.’ They said I was toning down the issues too much. They felt that I should be war-ike and confrontational and not cede any ground. Some of them were saying loudly;

–Let them kill us!

But eventually I prevailed and things calmed down and the people let the police and GSU through.”

Ochieng’ Nyawire continues to pray and work for peace for all Kenyans and peace in Kiambui and its neighbourhoods. He practices what he preaches—a true Kenyan hero.

Betty Wamalwa Muragori is a writer who lives in Nairobi with her husband and three children. She also writes as the poet Sitawa Namwalie and is a member of the Concerned Kenyan Writers.