The mighty always want to feel mighty and would make money talk for the sake of their happiness. Such elite people in the society will even pay anything for their luxury and satisfaction.
Such lifestyles are now being shared by the old and newcomers into cash, who have added to the list that belonged to politicians in Kenya.
Kenya’s former president, the late Daniel Moi, was undoubtedly a president who lived large unapologetically, flying in the Congo musicians and having the local ones join him on major celebrations for entertainment.
To him, luxury was unquestioned.
Though many people ensure they pay private entertainers for fear of being exposed on social media, unpaid entertainers find it hard to expose politicians and the elite, thus suffering in the hopes of a better tomorrow.
Meet Moi’s favorite traditional entertainer who sang his way to his heart and won many opportunities to have Mzee smile and tear on his composition of traditional patriotic songs in the 1990s.
Mzee Joshua Kesses was born in 1936 to an Ogiek Community living in the Mau Narok and was later evicted, seeking refuge at his aunt’s place.
Kesses started admiring his grandfather’s way of life, music and playing musical instruments.
Kesses lives in Lembus Kwen Ward, headed by Kipchumba Lawi, as a Member of County Assembly (MCA), which is in Eldama Ravine Constituency, under Musa Sirma as the Member of Parliament.
Challenges
Kesses, who would later grow up playing the harp, created his music composition on the struggles they had and the bitter life of being evacuated from the Maasai Mau, the then Narok South, by the white settlers.
During the struggle, the Kesses community spread along the Koibatek Hills, the Kamara, then Maji Mazuri, where the white settlers dispersed them again, creating the division of the Ogiek group into the Tugen Ogiek and the Kipsigis Ogiek.
They then settled near a place they called Kabies.
More separation occurred when their women intermarried after the eviction.
He said they mainly stayed at other people’s homes, especially in Kapndururu, waiting for their settlement.
Unfortunately, even after their Arusha case, where the Ogiek were granted the right to live in their land in Kenya, the Kenyan Government has not implemented it yet.
He wishes President William Ruto’s administration would act on it.
Kesses recalls their last meeting as the Ogiek Community about two years ago in Nakuru County, the famous Nessuit-Ogiek Meeting that was to end their mystery after being attended by leaders of the people, including human rights activists and politicians and a consensus reached on what next.
Passion for music
His passion grew even more from the struggles of challenges from the white settlers, and when he settled at his aunt’s place where they now are cultivating and making ends meet, he started teaching his 9-year-old boy how to play the harp.
“The harp that has been a calming factor around the evening fire after a hard day labor,” he says.
Kesses, now aged 87, has since then made out of him a musical family that sings, song-writes and plays harps.
His journey to have him entertain Moi started during the launch of the current Eldama Ravine Level Five Hospital, the then Eldama Ravine District Hospital.
Moi saw Kesses’s family playing the harp and was impressed and gave a directive to have them over during the 1995 New Year’s eve celebrations.
Vanished cheque, excellent children
That night, he says, they made Moi cry, and he quickly wrote them a half a million cheque to have Kesses educate his children. Kesses says he followed the money through the then MP William Morogo and to date there is no response.
“I saw Moi write the cheque and others too told me the same. I later went to visit the District Officer (DO), who told me, ‘You really did us proud, and William Morogo has your message.’ The DO tried calling Morogo who promised to see me the following Monday, but to date I have not met him nor gotten my dues,” he narrates, sadly.
Kesses, who has had to raise his family as a single parent due to the passing on of his wife, says they depend largely on farming.
He recalls that for about five years, he lost hope of ever singing when he was played severally by the Social Services Department after performing and got dodged by leaders who denied him his cheques.
He recalls his best moments when Moi was getting married to Kenya’s second First Lady, the late Lenah Moi, from the Bomet family. He was there with his family entertaining the guests.
Through training his children, they, too, excelled in co-curricular activities in school, especially the Music Festivals and the Drama Festivals.
He passionately went with them stage by stage, from the District level to the Provincial and national levels, then the state house, where the winners entertained President Moi.
His was to ensure he fixed his children’s harps whenever a string fell out. His children were loved and feared in the music. He, indeed, has been a committed father.
Since he was nine years old, his son Joseph Kesses has received numerous trophies and certificates of acknowledgment from different institutions for his excellent music skills.
So has his family, and they are now struggling to have some music recorded.
“Our main challenge is having a sustainable way of recording the music and making a living out of it,” says the son.
Joseph, who now has a son joining form one, is juggling between manual labor and farming to raise his son’s school fees.
His son Brian Kipkorir Kesses too, plays the harp and has written patriotic songs, just like his grandson.
Brian’s songs are heart-melting, and you are left wanting more.
He says he wishes to meet Joe Kimetto, his grandfather’s renowned musician friend. He also wants to meet Emmy Kosgei, Lilian Rotich, and Bahati to help him grow his talent.
Joseph used to perform on top of stools and play the harp. He was ever number one from 1995 for six music and drama festivals consequently.
He, however, says he lacked the financial ability to have his music in a way it would elevate his talent and earn a living out of it.
The family has now registered the Kesses Choir, also called Kesses Traditional Dancers. They entertain audiences at local functions and Kenyan Cultural festivals.
“Only Western Kenya musicians can beat us because they have a culture of loving their instruments and playing them a lot,” says Joseph Kesses.
Extortions?
He says sometimes the county government picks them up through the Social Services Department to perform at an event and then returns them in the evening without giving them any money but just a soda and bread.
His family is now grown. His last-born daughter is a gospel musician. He says his other young son, too, is a singer but is yet to get to the studio.
The main message in their songs, apart from being patriotic songs, is to create sensitization of the ills of the society, encourage farming and spread wisdom amongst the Kenyans on the importance of abstaining from careless behaviors, the importance of environmental conservation, and knowing their history.
Like any other patriot, Kesses has acknowledged that unity amongst Kenyans is the only way the country can grow. He wishes to meet President Ruto to talk with him and even propose singing for him.
Appeal
He says he desires to have Ruto boost him by building him a permanent house.
“As you can see, Kenyans loved Ruto so much they chose him. I just wish he would elevate my house from a mud house to a permanent one. I also have grandchildren in school and they need school fee,” adds Kesses.
His family is humble; love and unity are their strong pillars.
Kesses is a hard-working farmer fending for his family.
He has lived to enjoy the third generation take up the musical mantle. All he wants is to attach music to education that can propel them more.
Kesses uses traditionally-made harps which he makes. He, however, wishes he would have the electronic one that will have the music attached to speakers, especially when they have live band performances at big events.
He also wants to introduce his family to play the piano and solo guitars.
Just like other local musicians, the Kesses family case is wanting.
It leaves a lot to be questioned, especially if there are government officials who siphon such musicians’ money and who take advantage of people like Kesses.
Their fate on whether the family would find a sponsor to help them record their music and make a living out of it, lies on well-wishers.
Whether the Social Services Department is supposed to pay artists who perform in public events brings the question of why Kesses has never been paid for the many events he and his family have entertained.
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The role of the Department of Social Services in Kenya is to aid distressed, disadvantaged individuals, groups, and families.
Its basic concern and welfare are to help with disability, disease and poverty alleviation.
The main recipients are children and parents, helping them become more self-sufficient and strengthening family relationships to successful social functioning.
