KENYA'S DARKEST MEMORIES

 

When I was young, my mother once told me about a tragedy that occurred at the old Kilifi Ferry crossing before the construction of the Kilifi Bridge in 1991. A ferry carrying passengers capsized in the waters of Kilifi Creek, claiming many innocent lives. Families lost loved ones within minutes. Mothers lost children. Children lost parents. To this day, my mother still remembers the pain and fear that surrounded that incident. Some tragedies may fade from the headlines, but they never leave the hearts of those who witnessed them.

As I grew older, I came to realize that Kenya is a country that has known both beauty and unbearable sorrow. There are incidents that shook the nation so deeply that even years later, mentioning them still reopens wounds.

One of the earliest tragedies many Kenyans still remember is the horrific Sabaki River bus accident near Malindi. Two buses collided and plunged into the swollen Sabaki River, leading to the deaths of many passengers. Families waiting for loved ones never saw them again. Rescue efforts were heartbreaking as bodies were retrieved from the river while survivors screamed in shock and pain. For many coastal families, the Sabaki tragedy remains one of the most painful road accidents ever witnessed in Kenya. The thought of passengers trapped inside buses sinking into deep waters is something the country never truly forgot.

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I remember the 2013 Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi. For days, the entire country watched in horror as terrorists from Al-Shabaab stormed the mall, killing innocent Kenyans and foreigners. It felt unreal — like watching a terrifying movie unfold live on television. Families were trapped inside. Some hid under tables and inside shops, praying for survival. Others never made it out alive. The images, the screams, the confusion, and the bravery of those who risked their lives to save others remain permanently etched in our memories.

Then came the Garissa University attack on 2nd April 2015 — one of the darkest days in Kenya’s history. Al-Shabaab gunmen stormed the university at dawn and turned a place of learning into a scene of unimaginable horror. Young students who had dreams, ambitions, and bright futures ahead of them were hunted down mercilessly. Survivors later narrated how they heard gunshots echo through the dormitories as terrified students ran for safety. Some hid in wardrobes and bathrooms for hours, listening to screams and prayers around them. By the end of the siege, 148 people had lost their lives, most of them students.

Parents who had struggled to educate their children received the most devastating phone calls of their lives. Some travelled to Garissa with hope, only to return carrying bodies. Kenya cried together. Churches, mosques, schools, and homes fell silent in mourning. It was a tragedy that left an entire generation traumatized.

Another heartbreaking tragedy that touched the nation was the Likoni Ferry disaster in Mombasa in September 2019. A vehicle slid off the MV Harambee ferry into the deep waters of the Indian Ocean. Inside the car were Mariam Kigenda and her four-year-old daughter, Amanda Mutheu. Kenyans watched helplessly as rescue operations continued for days. The thought that a mother and her child spent their final moments together beneath the dark waters broke the hearts of millions. The image of that tragedy remains one of the saddest memories many Kenyans still carry today.

We also remember the plane crash that claimed

the life of Professor George Saitoti in June 2012. Kenya lost not only a senior government official, but also a leader many believed still had so much to offer the country. The suddenness of his death shocked the nation. One moment he was alive, serving his country, and the next, he was gone.

Today, yet another tragedy has struck the nation. The fire at Utumishi Girls has plunged the country into mourning. Young girls who left home to pursue education and build their futures have lost their lives in the most painful way. Reports indicate that 16 students have lost their lives, others are fighting for survival, and several students have been detained following allegations of arson. Behind every number is a child whose parents had dreams for them. Behind every life lost is a family now drowning in grief.

There are tragedies that affect only those directly involved. But there are also tragedies that make an entire country mourn together. Incidents so painful that even strangers feel connected by grief. Moments that leave permanent scars in our minds and hearts. Moments we will probably one day narrate to our own children, just as our parents narrated theirs to us.

Because tragedy has a way of freezing time.

You remember where you were when you heard the news.

You remember the silence that followed.

You remember the pain, even when the victims were people you never knew personally.

Today, Kenya mourns again.

May God grant strength and comfort to the parents, families, and friends who have lost their children in the Utumishi Girls fire tragedy. And may justice prevail for every life that was lost too soon.

MAMA ..BEHIND OUR SUCCESS IS HER SACRIFICE

Today, I honour my mother — Freda Mwangolo — a woman whose love was expressed through sacrifice, discipline, and unwavering dedication to her children’s future.

Mama loved us deeply and intentionally. Her love was not just spoken, but lived every single day through her actions. She sacrificed personal comfort, often giving up good food, beautiful clothing, and personal pleasures so that we, her children, could have the best life possible. She always placed our needs before hers without complaint. Even in the home, she remains tireless — waking up before everyone else and ensuring that by the time we rise, all house chores are already done and everything is in order.

From her strength and guidance, she raised her children into accomplished individuals. Her children — Habona Komora, a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance option) graduate currently pursuing CPA and a Master’s degree working with the County Government of Tana River; Timna Komora, a Law graduate and Advocate of the High Court with a Master’s in International Relations and Diplomacy working at the County Assembly of Tana River; Hajilo Komora, holder of a Bachelor of Science degree and Diploma in Nursing working at Kilifi Hospital; Dr. Rehema Komora, a medical doctor (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) serving in the County Government of Tana River; and Daddah Komora, a trained nurse also working with the County Government of Tana River — are living proof of her sacrifice, discipline, and vision. The fact that three of her five children are medical professionals speaks deeply of her influence, values, and the path she inspired.

Mama is herself a medic, and through her example, we grew up admiring her compassion, discipline, and commitment to service. She and our father carried the responsibility of raising and educating five children to the highest levels of their potential, ensuring that none of us lacked direction, education, or support.

She is not just a mother — she is the foundation of our success, the pillar of our strength, and the heart of our family.

Happy Mother’s Day Mom Freda. We are because you gave. We are because you sacrificed. We are because you loved without limits. ❤️🌸

WHERE IT BEGAN WAS SMALL ...WHAT SHE BECAME IS NOT

 

She sits not in a room defined by furniture or aesthetics, but in a position defined by years of discipline, sacrifice, and quiet endurance — working in civil service, representing the County Assembly, serving with fulfillment and earning respect that has been hard-won, not given.

Before all this, there was Ngao.

a humble village where life moved with simplicity but demanded quiet resilience. Schooling was in a public school with modest resources, where classrooms were basic, opportunities limited, and success was never assumed. Books were shared, paths were long, and expectations were unspoken but deeply felt. It was a place where discipline was not enforced by systems, but by circumstance; where determination was not taught, but necessary. In that village setting, ambition was not handed over — it was slowly built, shaped by perseverance, humility, and the understanding that if a future was to change, it would begin there.

From Ngao, she moved forward — not away from herself, but deeper into her calling.

Murray Girls High School came next, tucked in the cold hills of Taita Taveta. A place where the mornings bite and the nights feel longer than they should. It was distant in every sense — geographically, emotionally, even socially. No frequent visitations. No comfort of familiarity. Just discipline, silence, and the slow shaping of a young woman who had no option but to become strong.

There, determination learned how to survive loneliness.

Then Moi University, Eldoret — School of Law.

Law was not just studied. It was endured.

Cases that refused to make sense at first reading. Pages that multiplied when sleep should have come. Lectures that demanded presence even when exhaustion begged for absence. The law does not comfort its students — it refines them. And she was being refined, quietly and repeatedly, through pressure most people never see.

But the hardest test was still ahead.

The Kenya School of Law.

Sleepless nights that blurred into mornings. Mental fatigue that no textbook prepares you for. Pressure that sits on your chest even when everything is technically “on track.” It is a place where many begin, but not everyone becomes.

She did not just pass through it — she survived it.

And then she became what she had been moving toward all along.

An Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.

One of the few Pokomo lawyers in a field where representation is never evenly distributed. A civil servant. Serving in the County Assembly with integrity, earning respect through competence, presence, and consistency. Fulfilled not by arrival, but by purpose.

But behind that title are layers no certificate can show.

The tears no one saw.

The doubts she never voiced aloud.

The quiet sacrifices of youth, rest, and ease.

The joy that came not loudly, but deeply — when she finally understood that she had not wasted any of it.

Focused. Determined. Unstoppable.

Not as a slogan on a desk — but as a life lived in full.

TIMNA

 

Every time I introduce myself, someone pauses and goes, “Wow… your name is so unique.”

Then I say, “It’s actually in the Bible,” and suddenly there’s a frown… confusion… a little spiritual buffering 😭 like, “Wait… where??”

Let me now educate the masses … my name Timna is not a modern invention. It is fully biblical, deeply ancient, and clearly ahead of its time 

First of all, Timna shows up in the Bible before some of your favorite “common” names even clocked in. We are talking Old Testament level...genealogy, legacy, “begat this and that” energy.

Genesis 36:12 – Timna appears as a concubine to Esau’s son Eliphaz and becomes the mother of Amalek. Yes, that Amalek. So basically, I come from a lineage that people took very seriously… not small small history.

Genesis 36:22 & 1 Chronicles 1:39 – Timna is also mentioned as the sister of Lotan. Meaning what? Versatility. The name is out here appearing in multiple family trees like a VIP guest.

And just when you think the Bible is done mentioning Timna, boom—plot twist.

 Judges 14 – There’s a whole place called Timnah where Samson goes to find love and start problems ..So not only is my name a person, it is also a whole location. Imagine being both a historical figure and a destination. Multi-purpose name. Very dynamic. Very anointed.

Now imagine… all these years people have been calling me “unique” like my name just dropped from nowhere. Meanwhile, I’ve been walking around with a name that has been booked, busy, and documented since Genesis 

And the best part? Some pastors will confidently open the Bible, flip pages like they’re in a race, pause… and still not locate Timna. Meanwhile I’m standing there like, “sir, respectfully… try Genesis 36 before you embarrass both of us.” 😌

So next time someone says, “wow your name is so rare,” just know… it’s not just rare, it’s scriptural excellence with a touch of mystery.

In conclusion...Not everyone can carry a name that survived thousands of years, multiple genealogies, and still sounds this good.

Call me Timna… Biblical, original, and slightly misunderstood

WHEN LETTING GO TEACHES MORE THAN HOLDING ON

My heart is full today.

Last year, when I took my son to boarding school, I walked away feeling brave on the outside and completely shattered on the inside. It was one of those parenting decisions that look very wise on paper but feel absolutely cruel in real life.

In his former school, my son was thriving. He was always among the top five in class. Mathematics was his kingdom, and he ruled it confidently. Teachers praised him for being the smartest and the tidiest boy in class.

Of course, I must confess — that “tidiness” came with a lot of behind-the-scenes support. At home, we had a wonderful nanny who handled nearly everything. She washed his clothes (yes, even the tiny boxers), ironed them neatly, dressed him for school, polished his shoes, and made sure he looked like a young gentleman every morning.

Meanwhile, I handled the academic department. Every evening we revised together. When work or travel took me away, I would assign him topics to read and questions to attempt. Upon my return, we would sit down and go through everything.

It was our little academic ritual.

So naturally, when he joined the new boarding school, I assumed he would continue shining.

Well… reality had other plans.

In his new school, there was no mommy. No nanny. No evening revision sessions. No one hovering over him with questions like: “Have you revised? Have you covered that topic? Show me your working.”

The result?

My top-five mathematician started bringing home results that nearly gave me heart palpitations. In fact, “bringing home results” is a generous way of putting it — because the results mostly brought me down.

He was suddenly performing poorly. At every academic clinic, I would sit there listening to teachers explain how he was struggling academically and, to make matters worse, how he was constantly untidy.

Untidy!

My son? The former champion of neatness?

Parenting will humble you very quickly.

I remember leaving those meetings feeling completely defeated. I questioned myself constantly. Had I made the wrong decision? Had I pushed him too early into independence? Was boarding school too harsh?

Whenever I asked him why his performance had dropped, he would answer very honestly:

"Because you are not there to help me revise."

That sentence alone could crush a mother.

I felt guilty. I felt sad. I felt tempted — very tempted — to pull him out and run back to the comfort of our old routine.

But I made a difficult decision: there would be no going back.

I tightened my chest, swallowed the guilt, and told myself that growth is rarely comfortable. Sometimes children must stumble a little before they learn how to stand firmly on their own.

Fast forward to today.

I went for his academic clinic again — this time preparing my heart for the usual bad news.

But instead, I was pleasantly surprised.

The boy has changed.

He is now neat and organized. In fact, he has even stopped taking his clothes to the matron for washing. Apparently, the young man now washes and irons his own clothes. He polishes his own shoes. His teachers no longer complain about untidiness.

Ladies and gentlemen, independence has entered the building.

And academically? The improvement is remarkable.

But the moment that truly melted my heart came when his teacher asked him what he wants to become in the future.

His answer?

"I want to be a lawyer like my mom."

At that moment, I forgot every sleepless night, every stressful academic clinic, and every moment of doubt.

Because nothing compares to the realization that your child sees you as their role model.

To make matters even sweeter, I was told that he is now the second-best chess player in the school.

This one made me laugh.

I remember teaching him how to play chess about four years ago. At the time, he looked about as interested as someone forced to attend a three-hour lecture on the history of paint drying. I honestly thought the lesson had completely gone to waste.

Apparently, it did not.

Children are mysterious creatures. They quietly absorb far more than we think.

As I drove back home today, one thought kept repeating itself in my mind:

Perhaps my son did not fall behind.

Perhaps he was simply learning how to stand on his own feet.

And judging by the young man he is slowly becoming — washing his own clothes, polishing his own shoes, conquering chess boards, and dreaming of becoming a lawyer — I would say the lesson is working beautifully.

Parenting truly is a strange journey.

Sometimes the hardest decisions produce the most beautiful results.

Today, I am simply a proud mommy. ❤️

ECHOES OF YOU

 Some days I wake, the sun is bright,

The world feels easy, my heart feels light.

Other days, the shadows fall,

And I feel your absence echo through it all.

I miss your laugh, your careless smile,

The way you made the quiet worth the while.

The touch, the look, the way you knew,

How to make the ordinary feel brand new.

I cry sometimes, and that is okay,

For tears are words the heart can’t say.

Yet in the ache, I start to see,

The love I gave was strong, and free.

I let the waves pull, then let them go,

I dance in the sun, I walk in the snow.

Though part of me still longs for you,

Another part grows brave and true.

I remember the warmth, I remember the fire,

I remember the longing, the secret desire.

Yet I am more than the space you leave,

More than the nights my heart may grieve.

I am the storm, I am the shore,

I am the queen, who cries no more

For losing you is sharp, but true,

Even in longing, I rise anew.

The Courage of a Lion: Why Edwin Sifuna Deserves Our Admiration

In the turbulent aftermath of the
2025 political realignments in Kenya, one figure has stood out not for convenience or popularity, but for unwavering principle and boldness — Edwin Sifuna. Amidst the shock of losing Raila Odinga in October 2025, Kenya’s political landscape was thrown into uncertainty. Raila’s sudden passing at age 80 in Kerala, India, left a void not only in leadership but in direction for the opposition movement he had long led. 

Following that loss, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) faced intense internal pressure and confusion about its identity and direction. Some leaders argued for remaining aligned with the government; others insisted on a more traditional oppositional stance. Into this fractious environment stepped Sifuna — not with empty rhetoric, but with firm conviction.

From the outset, Sifuna made it clear he would not abandon principle for political expediency. He openly opposed alliances that he felt diluted ODM’s identity and betrayed the legacy of Raila Odinga. He insisted that the party should field its own candidate for the 2027 presidency rather than cede its autonomy in a broad-based government framework. 

Such courage did not come without cost. The

ODM National Executive Committee controversially attempted to remove him as Secretary General, accusing him of indiscipline and violations of party protocol — a move that sparked national debate and division within the party. 

But Sifuna did not retreat. He challenged the ouster, taking his case to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, which temporarily halted the removal and granted him legal reprieve, underscoring his determination to stand by his principles. 

Even as political pressure mounted, Sifuna maintained his stance publicly, rejecting calls for his resignation simply because he dared to speak truth to power and remain loyal to the foundational ideals of his party. 

His critics may label his position as defiance — but history will remember it as courage. In an age when many choose comfort over conviction, Sifuna has chosen courage. He has stood for accountability, for clarity of purpose, and for loyalty to the ideals that defined ODM’s struggle.

Whether one agrees with his political positions or not, one cannot deny the bravery of a leader willing to endure personal and political risk for what he believes is right. Kenya’s democratic evolution is strengthened not by silent followers, but by bold voices who insist on principle before popularity — and Edwin Sifuna is undeniably one of them.