Freedom hero’s kin welcome ‘lost’ son

As Kenyans celebrated 58 years of independence last Sunday, at the home of freedom fighter Wasonga Sijeyo in Siaya, the family celebrated the union with one of its members, thanks to social media.

Sijeyo, who was born in 1923, was elected senator of Nakuru after independence and later served as MP for Gem.

Facebook made it possible for the late Sijeyo’s family to trace a son it had not known, a retired soldier who for decades had longed to trace his father’s home.

Like one of his elder brothers, a retired Anglican prelate, the soldier was conceived a few months before the freedom fighter was hauled into detention.

Sijeyo, who was detained twice—once by the colonialists and later by the government of President Jomo Kenyatta—had made it a tradition for the family to gather every December 12 at his home in Siriwo, Central Gem, to celebrate his release from the second detention in 1978.

But this year’s event was unlike any other. It was pomp and colour as the family welcomed Daniel Kariuki home 43 years since his father was released from detention by President Moi.

Ironically, it was Moi who had signed the detention order that confined him and other Kenya Peoples Union (KPU) leaders behind bars when he was Minister for Home Affairs.

Sijeyo had been detained with other KPU leaders, who included Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, following a fracas during the opening of the “Russia” Provincial General Hospital by the founding President.

Four decades
Alex Wasonga, the eldest son of the late senator, said the carpenter-turned politician was first detained by the colonialists in 1953 when his mother, Norah Alila, was expecting his younger brother, Joseph Otieno, who would later serve as the bishop of ACK Maseno West Diocese.

The politician was to remain in detention up to 1958 when the future bishop was already five years old.

As fate would have it, Sijeyo was to be detained again a decade later a few months before another of his sons was born.

But unlike Joseph, it took Kariuki, more than four decades to meet his paternal side of the family. He was born in November of the same year his father was at Kamiti Maximum Security prison.

Kariuki said though his mother was not married to the senator, he grew up knowing he was the son of the freedom fighter. He said his grandfather owned a timber yard in Nakuru and Sijeyo, who was a carpenter, met his mother there.

Stepsister
“After he was elected Gem MP and moved to Nairobi, I am told they met again and one thing led to the other and here I am,” he told the media during the family get together in Gem.

The former Kenya Air Force soldier said his journey towards discovering his roots has been long but was made easy by Facebook where he met one of his stepsisters Conslate Wasonga.

But, before turning to Facebook, Kariuki had, throughout his life in the barracks and after, used every opportunity to try and reach out to anyone who could help him connect with his roots in Siaya.

Among those he reached out to are former detainees who spent some time with his father—Prof Ouma Muga and Koigi wa Wamwere.

“Prof Muga had promised to take me home as he knew my father well,” he says adding “but as fate would have it, he died before this happened”.
But, before he passed on, says Kariuki, he had mentioned to one of Wasonga’s sons, Evans, he had a “Kikuyu brother”.

The death of Muga sent Kariuki back to the drawing board and he had to resort to the social media where anybody with the surname Wasonga or Sijeyo elicited interest.

It is this that led him to Conslate. After exchanging pleasantries and a few questions online, they discovered they were siblings. “It is through her I was able to discover my roots and finally, I am home.”

Among those who welcomed the “lost” son was the former senator’s widow, Auma Wasonga who was happy to have him in the family fold.

Freedom struggle
The former Maseno West Anglican Diocese bishop was also full of joy as he narrated how they had also managed to trace a sister who lives in Germany.

According to the Sijeyos, the detention of the patriarch followed by the hostility between Luo and Kikuyu communities was to blame for the “loss” of their brother. Bishop Wasonga said their father contributed a lot to the freedom struggle and was instrumental in introducing Jomo Kenyatta and Kanu into Nakuru when Kadu leaders had declared it a no-go-zone for other parties.

Bishop Wasonga said he is writing a book of about his father.
Sijeyo served as MP for only three months before he was detained. He had won a by-election following the death of the first area MP Argwings Kodhek in a road accident.

Sijeyo, who had vied on a KPU ticket, defeated Kanu’s Rading’ Omollo.

More Articles

---