Photo/FILE/NATION Military pallbearers carry the remains of Major Samuel Keli Kavindu. The officer was among the first casualties of the war.
By DANIEL WESANGULA dwesangula@ke.nationmedia.com and KITAVI MUTUA kitavimutua@gmail.com
Posted Saturday, December 24 2011 at 20:06
Posted Saturday, December 24 2011 at 20:06
As the rest of the world sits around bonfires and shares stories over a Christmas meal, hundreds of families who have their sons and daughters on the frontline in the war against Al-Shabaab are celebrating without their loved ones who have to keep fighting.
One particular family in Kitale will be a worried lot, wondering what kind of Christmas their two members will celebrate in the battlefront and praying and hoping that they complete their mission successfully and return home safely.
Walter Omondi says this is the first time their family will celebrate Christmas without two of their sons.
His two brothers – Walter Otieno, 45, and Jeremiah Oliech, 43 – serve in the military.
And this Christmas, the two young fathers are thousands of kilometres away from their families for the greater good of protecting the nation.
Walter serves in the 5KR Langata Batallion while Jeremiah is a paratrooper. “Everyday we are afraid. We do not know what to expect. The news is filled with this bad news from the frontline.
“Reports of grenades and landmines. As a relative you cannot help but be afraid for your kin,” said Mr Omondi.
“I do not know how things will go. We have never been away from one another for as long as I can remember.”
Of the entire family, no hearts ache as much as those of the wives left behind by the man who have put their lives on the line in defence of their motherland.
Omondi too secretly shares these fears with her. But as a man, he needs to wear a brave mien.
“Of course I am worried about the safety of my brothers. But at the same time I need to trust that their superiors will lead them back home safely and pray that God grants them courage in this time of war,” says Omondi.
In his silent worry, Mr Omondi tries to appear more assured. “At the end of the day, my brothers are men. They are men of courage and I know they will push on through.
“And in as much as we would want them home for Christmas, we know they are playing a part in keeping us safe,” he says.
Ms Juma too has her worries. She too has left all to God. “I pray every day before going to bed. I wake up in the middle of the night and pray again. And when morning comes, I get on my knees and ask God to protect the father of my children,” she says.
In all his life, Mr Omondi’s brothers have never been to war. They have never been this close to danger.
“Now I am going through a lot of emotions. I want them home. But he loves the army. This is what he was born for. At times I think I am a bit selfish to want him home,” says Mr Omondi.
It is estimated that the Kenya Defence Forces have 2000 troops in Somalia to fight Al-Shabaab terrorists. So far about 10 Kenyan military personnel have died at the frontline, five of them in a helicopter crash.
“I wish them well. May the Lord be their guiding light and may they fight like the men I know them to be,” said Mr Omondi.
Mrs Damaris Keli Kavindu is celebrating Christmas holiday differently.
Mrs Damaris Keli Kavindu is celebrating Christmas holiday differently.
Mrs Kavindu whose husband, Major Samuel Keli Kavindu was among the first casualties of the war, had been used to spending the Christmas holiday every year at their rural at Kivani village in Kitui County but all this has now changed.
Her husband died on October 16, the first day of the war, alongside four other soldiers after the helicopter he was piloting crashed shortly after taking off from Liboi military base.
The situation became worse when her father-in-law collapsed and died upon receiving the shocking news of his son’s death.
When the Sunday Nation caught up with her, she narrated how life has changed such that she has to combine several family roles to fill the void left by her late husband.
“There is a huge gap in our family, and we feel so empty as we converge for this year’s Christmas holiday but hope we’ll get used to this loss,” said the secondary school teacher.
She added: “I was used to my husband helping a lot with the holiday shopping, running errands in town and eventually driving us to rural home to join the bigger family but now, it’s been so hectic for me.”Hectic time
Damaris explained how she had been stuck in the jam for many hours while the children are crying because she isn’t able to manoeuvre her way out of the chaotic Nairobi-Thika highway and drive to Kitui.
“If my husband were alive, driving the family home would not have been my bother because it was like his traditional duty as I handled the kids,” she explained.
The 38-year-old pilot, who joined the Armed forces only 10 years ago, was destined for promotion to the rank of colonel by the end of this year, and the Kavindus were planning a big Christmas bash to celebrate his meteoric career rise.
All this has changed and she’ll only spend a few days in Kitui and return to Nairobi to prepare for next term’s school opening.
Away from the frontline, truck driver Abdirizak Mwelu Juma, 48, says he will spend Christmas on the road. For him, there’s is nothing special about the day.
“Another day another trip and another shilling. That is how I will spend my Christmas,” he says.
As he drives his fourteen wheeler vehicle to Malaba from Nairobi, his wife and four children will be in Kitui waiting for his return.
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