Rest Dear Mama, Rest

In my entire life in the slums I have seen and experienced a lot
But I know no other woman in our hood who has experienced much pain
Mama Nyash as we called her…. Mary Wangui is her name…

Blessed with 9 beautiful children! A blessing in our culture we say!
But Mama Nyash despite the labour pains
and having brought them up all well
She went through the pain of losing 7 of her children
All in their prime adult and youth life.
Three through disease but 4 through extra judicial killings
3 of these four through the Bullet!

Naturally, it is a prayer of every parent
to be eulogized and buried by her children
it’s always sad when it is the other way round…
Mama Nyash had to do it 7 times.
Yet four times someone took the life of her kids.

I saw her cry when the police heartlessly asked her to pay
500 shilling for each of the 8 bullets that went through one of her son’s chest
Poor mother, Mama Nyash had to pay 4000 shillings for the killer bullets
This is cruelty. This is hurting. This is real pain!

I saw her cry when she saw another of her sons arrested
She knew it would be the last time for her to see him alive
The following morning ‘Choree’ was killed by the bullet.. How?
Where is justice? 

I saw her breaking down with us all one dark morning
And she never again recovered! When Nyash was assassinated.
Beloved Nyash. A true community leader… A brother and a friend.
By who? We don’t know, we might never know, but through an assassin’s bullet! 

Mama Nyash breathed out the last time last week
She took her final bow and laid to rest on Tuesday.
Now she rests… Now at peace! No more Pain!

Gone without seeing justice for her sons
Gone with too many unanswered questions
Gone maybe without understanding the meaning of life
Gone before living! Rest dear Mama, Rest!

Rest well Shiko, Rest well Anto, Rest well Wambo,
Rest well Njogosh, Rest well Choree, rest well Mboch,
Rest well Nyash.
Mama Rest in Peace… It is well!

How we demand for justice to them
and all whose life has been cut short
Many of us are lucky to celebrate our 25th birthday in the slums..

Many more have been taken down through extra judicial killings!
By assassins’ bullets!  Killer bullets!

We must all be equal before the law
We are not children of a lesser God

Peace and Life to all!
Go well Mama Nyash!