County to bid farewell to Italian Brother Mukiri who fell in love with it

Brother Giussepe Argesse is adorned by Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders regional chairman Linus Kathera when he was installed as a Meru elder in Igembe. [Phares Mutembei/Standard]

The death of an Italian missionary credited with digging a tunnel under a hill to take water to the driest parts of Meru is just beginning to sink in.

Brother Giuseppe Argesse, who died last week at the age of 85, is probably known more in the larger Meru than his native country.

After a 61-year tour of duty, Argesse had become such a part of the local community that he spoke fluent Kimeru and helped lay out an expansive water supply system from Nyambene hills long before the Government came in.

Grape farming

He was also known for two other things — his silence that earned him the name Mukiri, Meru name meaning “the silent one”, and introducing grape farming and a wine plant in the driest part of Meru.

“He did not speak much but concentrated on making water available for residents,” said Father David Kaberia.

Such was his dedication that the United Nations honoured Argesse for his humanitarian work. In 1988, President Daniel arap Moi also honoured him for his community development work.

Argesse was so much a part of the community that only his skin colour and accent betrayed his origins. Although his death will also be felt miles away in his native Italy, it is in the places where he left a mark that residents will probably mourn him more.

“He was a darling of residents who a long time ago welcomed him and even christened him Mukiri, said Father Mathew Kaimenyi, the vicar general of the Meru Catholic Diocese.

Besides leaving a mark in homesteads and farms where the water he tapped from the Nyambene hills flow, the Italian also had an impact on the architectural landscape.

The missionary designed and supervised the construction of some of the finest cathedrals and churches in Kenya, using centuries-old Italian church-building tradition.

Faced opposition

In a past interview, Argesse recounted how he faced opposition from the Njuri Ncheke - the Meru council of elders - when he first tabled his proposal to tap water from the sacred Nyambene hill.

“The elders did not want me to go to the hills and explore how water could be sourced for the downstream community. I found this unfortunate because people living 10 kilometres away had no water,” he said.

The elders later embraced him after he went on to sink boreholes in the area and embarked on a mission to protect the hill and its forest.

The elders now admit that they have lost one of their own.

“Mukiri brought water to Igembe and we will eternally be grateful. Were it not for him we do not know what could have happened to the community,” said Njuri Ncheke factional chairman Linus Kathera.

The elders went on to instal Argesse as a Meru elder.

With water flowing in hitherto dry areas, Argesse introduced grape farming, where crops failed for seasons and the community depended on relief food.

Today, villagers like Christine Mutabari grows grapes at Liliaba, where Argesse first started a demonstration farm.

“He taught us how to grow grapes, which did well in this dry climate, unlike other food crops that failed every season. He was one of us because he cared about us and our children,” she says.

Church wine

The Italian set up a winery to buy the grapes from the farmers and convert them into church and table wine.

Scores of villagers have mastered the art of grape farming.

They sold their harvest to Mukululu Winery, where Argesse supervised and trained more villagers on how to convert the grapes into wine.

Such was his attachment to the community in Igembe that his wish was to be buried at Mukululu.

Argesse will be buried outside the Mukululu Church at the foot of Nyambene hills today.

“That was his wish. He became really part of us,” said Father Kaimenyi.