By Jeremiah.L.Chamakany
It is a story of many regrets but one full of hope in God. The pursuit for education is a universal human
need for it guarantees a future worth waiting for. With a good education, anyone can have the potential of leaving the world a better place more than he or she found it. Such positive thinking is just wishful thinking as is narrated by Joel Kipkoech, a Kenyan born in Baringo County in the year 1951.
BFN
caught up with him at Kabiyet Village in Koibatek Sub-county; shortly
after getting wind that an old man armed with three University degrees
is perennially giving out some very helpful advice about the realities
of Life. Your big dreams are just good as they are but remember, things
will not always unfold as you had planned because you are not the master
of your destiny, mostly towards a life of legendary material riches.
‘’We
all go to school with this imagination that one day,we will live like
Warren Buffet and have our bank accounts over flowing with cash. We will
all be driving a car ,with a beautiful wife suckling a new born seating
with you at the front, as the rest of your brood plays with their
dollies at the car back seat’’ said Joel adding that such dreams are
good but they may never come true not because you are lazy in class ,but
because sometimes, things may not always go as we had planned. Many
people call him ‘’American man’’ in honor of his sojourn in the land of
good promises; and the fact that he did leave behind his black American
wife and three beautiful daughters. Like former American president
Barack Obama , Joel believes that his girls will one day come visiting
him in Kenya.
‘My girls often call me and even send me some Dollars’ he beamed to BFN.
According
to him, the most beautiful thing he remembers about the United States
of America is not only her advanced education system and military might;
but the American Motto- ‘In God we Trust’. In America, observing a
government’s concern for her most vulnerable citizenry is quite an
experience. A real American spirit! When it’s very cold in America, the
authorities do not rest. Not until all the homeless people have been
rounded up from under the tunnels where they live, and herded into some
homes where they are taken care of until the harsh weather season is
gone.
He
was busy carrying out some manual work at some compound where he is
employed to work as a caretaker. After finding out about the agenda of
our mission, he was not at all surprised having gotten used to re
telling the story about his personal experiences to the many people
around him. He decided to take us all the way back to his childhood; a
small village called Kipng’orom where he was born a first born son in a
very blessed family.
‘’I
went to Sirwa Primary School where I sat my class seven examinations,
and emerged the second best with an overall of 26 points in the year
1968’ he started the story. Because of his good performance, he did
secure a form one placing at the present day Kabarnet Boys high school.
Unfortunately though, he was not able to report to the school because it
was noted that his examination results slip had an error. His vacancy
was given to someone else. He went ahead and got himself some employment
at the nearby Emining trading centre, earning himself ‘a cool salary
‘of thirty shillings per month.
''I
was once employed to run a small hotel in Emining .I would wake up at
3am to cook mandazi.That hotel was very famous among travelers because
people walked on foot all the way from Marigat to visit relatives around
Mogotio and even Eldama Ravine..No many vehicles those days and it
would even take you one full month before you see not really a car,but a
truck...'' said the old man adding that his salary of thirty shillings
was a lot of money during those days‘’ .
The
desire to make more money saw him travel all the way to Uasin Gishu
County where a Luo contractor employed him to peel wattle trees at some
area known as Kapng’etuny. When translated into English, Kapng’etuny is a
Kalenjin name which means ‘’Jungle full of Lions.’’ It’s not far from
Baringo county.
The
wattle tree barks were used to manufacture shoe polish somewhere around
Eldoret deep in the heart of the former Rift Valley province. While
working at Kapng’etuny,he befriended a girl from the Keiyo community and
in no time, he did ‘’accidentally ‘’put her in a family way. He
cunningly left the poor girl because according to his own recollection,
parental responsibilities had not yet crossed his mind. That was in the
year 1970.
Back
home and KSH 300 savings in his pockets, he bought new school uniform
before approaching his father ,and flouted the idea of him going back to
school and reseat the class seven examination. His father bought the
idea, and presented his request to the headmaster. His father had then
left the whole family at Kipng’rom, in order to practice cultivation at
the then newly established scheme within Koibatek. At Eldama ravine
Mission Primary school, he was able to score 36 out of the 36 points,
earning himself an express admission to the prestigious Alliance Boys
High School in Nairobi in the year 1972.
‘’I
was full of ambition and wanted to conquer the world after joining
Alliance High school’’ said the old man. At Alliance High school, he was
joined by Dr.Edward Sambili, former Principal Secretary in charge of
National Planning and Vision 2030.
‘’Dr.Sambili
was my Junior at Alliance, ‘said the beaming graduate who left Alliance
in the year 1975.Dr Sambili was such a quite boy in school .With his
strong Christian roots ,Dr Sambili would often fetch me some water every
time I requested him because he was ‘kijana wa nyumbani’. I was his
senior .I will always remember him because he was an obedient and
morally upright young man ,a virtue his still retains even to date as a
family man, and a respected technocrat. American Man was very good in
athletics and always emerged tops alongside a fellow called Mark Sang
from Nandi County. Sang later went ahead to further his studies at a
University in Wisconsin, in the United States of America.
‘’This
Mark Sang is the guy who facilitated my scholarship to the United
States, because he knew I was very good in athletics. Communication was
very poor during those days; It was difficult for me to get in touch
with my friend at Wisconsin about the possibility of me getting a
scholarship. I opted to join the Kenya military Cadets at Nakuru,
together with t Lieutenant General Joseph Kiptoo Kasaon,now retired.
My
training lasted for three months only. My instincts told me I did not
belong to the military. I kept on picturing myself somewhere in a
foreign University. The rigid military program locked me away from
filling my scholarship application forms; my friend having promised to
send them to me through Post Office .I courageously approached a Captain
Soi and asked him to grant me permission to rush home. He obliged and
once at Eldama Ravine, I went in search of the post master because I
wanted the keys to access the letter box at Eldama Ravine post office.
As
sure as death, my scholarship application forms where there waiting for
me to fill. I said goodbye to the Cadet military training and started
the process of filling the forms ready to fly out of Africa! I was
already set to join Texas Tech University, a school with a population of
23,000 students from all around the world.
Kenya
Republic was very good those days. There was no demand for bribes as is
now customary in the immigration department, and other government
agencies. I got a small hitch at the ministry of education because a
certain officer declined to sign my forms, claiming that United States
of America was a dangerous place for young people to go and study.
‘’He
wants to shatter my dreams!’’ an alarm rung in my head. Everybody is
dying to get an American education, and someone here is trying to
prevent me. This is pure jealousy!’’ so went a silent conversation
inside my mind. I silently walked out of his office and managed to think
very quickly.
Through
some trusted associates, I was able to trace the former Baringo South
Member of Parliament Honorable Edward Kiptanui. He surely intervened. He
cunningly wrote a letter to the education official at Jogoo House,
making it look like the then Vice President Daniel arap Moi was
sponsoring me to get some American education…..
‘’Why
are you getting in the way of the Vice president?’’ the MP posed the
question to the education official who with trembling hands; went ahead
to stamp my letters and asked me to get back to him should I require any
other assistance .....hahahah. But maybe he was a prophet; you are yet
to find out why I ended up returning to Kenya very unceremoniously, 19
years after leaving my sweet motherland…I was deported and I am yet to
drop a real bombshell, a Real Tornado!
There
was a guy from Baringo County who worked in the Immigration department,
and he played a bigger role in assisting me put together all my travel
documents. His name was James Chirchir from around Sirwa location.
With my documents intact and having also gotten a medical clearance form, now came the bigger challenge to overcome, purchase of an air ticket! My father was not going to afford Ksh6,500.00 then required for the ticket. I was expected to have the air ticket before thinking about visa application.
With my documents intact and having also gotten a medical clearance form, now came the bigger challenge to overcome, purchase of an air ticket! My father was not going to afford Ksh6,500.00 then required for the ticket. I was expected to have the air ticket before thinking about visa application.
Time
was running out bearing in mind that it was already August, yet I was
required to report to school on September 1976.Without even shame, I
again approached Honorable Edward Kiptanui for monetary assistance. He
promised to inform the Vice president about my situation and as was his
custom and love for education, Vice president Moi did not hesitate to
get into his pocket and fished out Ksh 10,000.In January 15th 1977,i
caught my flight from Jomo Kenyatta Airport with my first stop at
London, New York, Dallas and then Texas where I was able to study
Agricultural Economics, Psychology and Political Science.
''With
my Education,i think Baringo County Government should give me a
job,even as a County Nyumba kumi chairman because i want to reach the
Youth in secondary schools,and preach why drugs are not cool at all.I
need a four wheel Car to begin my mission all the way from Timborua,to
the darkest corner of Mochongoi in Laikipia. Am very ready but they
should give me a driver'' American man now sends this distress call to
Governor Kiptis arguing that apart from being experienced and a man of
papers ,he is a real Professor who graduated from ''the University of
Life''.Thanks to God i am alive and therefore,i will give back to the
society by speaking to the Youth.I am the Right Man to speak to the
Young generation.
[To be continued in the next Issue]
jeremiahchamakany@gmail.com
jeremiahchamakany@gmail.com
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