Reverend Timothy Njoya has earned the right to be considered one of the greatest human rights activists Kenya has ever known, and if his left hand could speak, it would tell a story.
His palm bears a hole, and the skin on the back of his hand has a mottled appearance.
“This hand was reconstructed with tendons from my thigh and skin grafts from my stomach other areas.”
We are now standing in his impressive library, one lined with books I later learnt are imports from Universities like Princeton. Besides Njoya, no one else is allowed into the room, and I am honoured to get a glimpse.
THE SERMON AND THE BEATING
Waving his arm, he explains what happened on that Labour Day of 1997, the day he almost lost his hand.
Those days, I had a preaching slot on Voice of Kenya (now KBC) at 6am. It was a public holiday, so I had a captive audience. President Kenyatta was going to address the Nation later in the day. My sermon said that
Harambee was the doctrine of the Kikuyu middle class. I also said that when Jesus was here, he expected the people he healed to participate, like he told the man on the mat to get up and walk and affirmed the dignity of the woman with the issue of blood that her faith had healed her and to go in peace.
I remember saying, ‘Unlike those people, Kenyans’ independence had never been affirmed and we were not free yet. We are still being managed and carried on a mat by the Government. It is high time labourers know that they produce the economy of this country. They are paying taxes, so they should be free and we should be told that today’.”
