The Calendar reveals its Friday the 22nd of April, 2011. The atmosphere is heavy with silence. The pin drop stillness is however disrupted by a wall clock which chimes silently at the Reserve section, claiming it’s at 10.45 am.
This is at the Daystar’s Agape Library. I recall it is on Easter break; the staff and students are on holiday causing the silence to be so deafening, a perfect time to converse with the little known unique fellow.
Let’s be honest. From monetary, administration to spiritual capitals, security men may not be popular and most often fall prey to our uncontrolled wrath. Guess what? They too have a story to tell. And so goes for Richard Mwema Musyimi.
I mean, when we mention security men, don’t we evoke thoughts of a mean looking face, heavy boots crowned by six pack figure? However, Richard is nowhere close to these descriptions.
“Muema is serious with his job but also very welcoming”, says Amos Koisa, a 4th year student studying Logistics at Daystar Athi-River campus.
Tabitha Mueni, a 4th year students agrees. “Unlike other tough security men, Mwema won’t chase you out of the library just because you made noise”, she says adding that he will instead warn severally before kicking you out.
On this particular day, he is adorned in polo t-shirt, brown cotton trousers coupled by a cheerful smile. Richard breaks the loud silence with a warm handshake, and pulls a chair before taking me through the journey of his life.
 |
| Picture is Mwema at his work place |
Growing up
Born 39 years ago to Mr. and Mrs. Musyimi, at the Coast general hospital, Mwema had high spirited dreams of becoming an Engineer. However, this was not to be. Richard, a medium built man with a physique that makes him own a stiff gait that would confuse him for a gym instructor. From the conversation, he seems reserved but very witty in his responses.
Mwema nostalgically recalls his humble days in the deep heart of Mwingi district as only one of its kind revealing he was the only boy in a family of 6 sisters. This meant, he enjoyed his leisure apart from few times when he grazed cattle.
Education
A year after we had lost our founding father of the Nation, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, he began his school days in 1979 at the-hard-to-pronounce Itivanzo primary school. Nevertheless, at class 4, he switched to Tulanduli primary school, where he sat for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (K.C.P.E) in 1988 and scooped an amazing 66 points (an equivalent of 492 marks out of the possible 700 then) making him the best student in his class. Oh and before I forget, all his primary schools days were spent in the hot and sunny Mwingi district.
Richard’s results did send mixed reactions in the family. His mother desired to see her bright son further his education but his father remained reluctant citing financial constraints.
Backed by the go-getter personality, Mama Mwema sought help from an old family friend, Kimanzi, who convinced Mr. Musyimi on the importance of education. The conversation would finally reap fruits when he offered Muema’s father an incentive in form of a bull as a sign of goodwill so that the father could take him to school. A sure way of getting blessings from a defiant father, don’t you think?
With that dealt with, Kyuso boys high school, Mwingi north district opened its doors to an overjoyed Muema in February 1989. Richard reminisces his high school days as tough but still worth it. School taps could run dry and they had to draw water from a nearby seasonal river after which they did their washing.
Career path
After his dreams of becoming an engineer were shattered, Muema sought other avenues. At one time, he fancied working as a teacher, pastoring or generally working with a Christian organization. This is borrowed from by his spiritual life in high school, when he served as the Christian Union chairman.
"However, a bright cloud was approaching his way"
Before that though, Muema tried his hand elsewhere by working for different construction companies like Putton Construction Company as “mtu wa mkono” (casual labourer), an ideal jack of all trades. In 1995, he moved to St. Georges Company (along parliament road, Nairobi) where he worked for one and a half years as a Cleaner.
2 years later, Muema got a job at the Bob Morgan Security company (BM Security) where he worked for a decade as a security guard. While there, life was even harder on him. He remembers an instance where a customer in a slick Mercedes drove in and demanded to have access to the premises even after it had closed. A quiet Muema who couldn’t allow him in was left a victim of injustice after the customer rained all kinds of insults on him. But Richard did give up; he needed the job badly for his survival.
However, a bright cloud was approaching his way. In 2007, Daystar University advertised for vacancy looking for security personnel who was dedicated and had a rich Christian background. Need I say more? Muema applied for the job and was lucky to get it amidst high competition from other applicants.
As we speak, Muema boasts as one of the security guys in the library. “Working with students is better than BM security, it’s bearable”, he says. “Daystar students know the rules and this makes his job much easier”, he adds.
Achievements
In 2008, Richard bought himself a 1 acre piece of land in Machakos. Commuting home has also become easier as in the same year also; he bought a motor bike which he currently uses to get to his home in Machakos. On the hand, Mwema has a grocery shop that earns him the extra coin to sustain his family.
Family
 |
| Richard flaunts his motorbike |
When I ask him about his family, he scratches his head, clear his throat and proceeds. Richard is married to a lovely, supportive and optimistic wife, Josphine Muema and both have three beautiful daughters Christine Mwende (14years), Beatrice Mumbe (12) and Lilian Mueni (7).
Single men, listen up. Richard met Josephine in 1994 where she was working for Pre-press production an advertising company in Westlands, Nairobi. Introductions to each other were done by Wilson, a friend, and love blossomed to the altar in 1996 at P.E.F.A (Pentecostal Evangelism Fellowship of Africa) and the rest I must say is an epic of happy ending.
As the Clock ticks close to midday, the interview comes to a close. Muema poses for a few clicks of the camera as he bids farewell while resuming to his duties.
No comments:
Post a Comment