Freedom fighter who founded Dini ya Musambwa

By Kenneth Kwama

Kenya: Dini ya Musambwa founder Elijah Masinde made several prophesies during his lifetime, but the one that stood out was delivered to Kenya’s founding President Jomo Kenyatta when both were in detention at Kapenguria.

Masinde, who often found himself at odds with the government of the day due to his abrasive approach to issues, had found himself locked up together with Kenyatta following a spat with the colonial authorities. At Kapenguria, it is said that he managed to forewarn Kenyatta of an impending assassination plot.

Although there are accounts of attempts on Kenyatta’s life, not much is known about Masinde’s warning since he did not put timelines to the prophecy.

He also claimed to have had a vision. In the vision, Wele Khakaba (God the Provider) instructed him to tell the White man to quit Kenya for it was not his country. He proclaimed that a black man would rule Kenya in the future.

Masinde who supported freedom fighters had very scant respect for colonialists who he claimed were sheep of God now turned into wolves.

In an obituary published on June 9, 1987, the New York Times stated that Masinde was an opponent of colonial and independent Kenyan governments.

“Mr Masinde, who regarded himself as a prophet, founded his fundamentalist sect in 1942 as a direct challenge to the authorities. He urged his followers to destroy their identity cards and not pay taxes. He spent much of his life in prison as a result of his activities,” stated the paper.

Not much is recorded about how he related with Kenyatta, but it became clear that the camaraderie link had died as he continued being defiant even after independence.

The confrontational spirit continued with the Dini ya Musambwa leader questioning post-independence Kenya governments, especially on the issue of land distribution and citizen rights.

After independence, he was detained by Kenyatta’s government for close to 15 years. He had been accused of fomenting religious hatred.

He was released by Kenyatta’s successor, Daniel arap Moi in 1978, but his freedom did not last after Moi’s government also arrested him following clashes with traffic policemen in Webuye and Kitale.

One of the most acclaimed scholars from Western Province, Prof Julius Wangila, once wrote that he knew about Masinde when he was growing up in a place called Kibingei in Western.

“He used to preach to people that gathered on Kitayi Hill in our village. All herdsboys in the village would bring around Bibiaayo (grazing cattle, goats and sheep) to hear him alongside the adults,” wrote the academician.

According to Prof Wangila, several people came to listen to Masinde’s sermons, but he contended that the attraction was not what he preached.

“It was rather the spectacular crowd of people that were all dressed in white, flowing garments. That fascinated me. The adults said he spoke in parables and told them about what the community should do for the days ahead,” he wrote.