On Monday 31st July 2017, 8 days to Kenya’s second general election under the Constitution of Kenya 2010, IEBC ICT Manager Christopher Chege Msando was found dead. Preliminary autopsy reports indicate that Chris was brutally murdered and his body dumped in Kikuyu, Kiambu County. He had been missing for three days.
Chris will be laid to rest in his family’s home of Kobiero, Siaya County on Saturday 19th 2017.
And as the slain patriot bows out, Kenya continues to dominate international headlines after conducting a free, fair and credible election whose success can largely be attributed to the electronic vote transmission and tallying system Chris put in place.
Therefore, in the honour of Chris, I run on this platform, the emotional tribute of Msando’s wife, Eva Buyu, to her husband, delivered at the Consolata Shrine, Westlands during his requiem service.
“I don’t know where to start.
I don’t know what to tell you.
Because I have WHY, WHY, WHY?
We sing the national anthem and we say, “justice be our shield and defender.”
Kenyans, let justice be shield and defender.
It is wrong.
It’s not fair.
Look at the babies.
My oldest is 10.
If I include Jacob, my oldest is 17 and our youngest baby with Christopher is 2 years old.
Are you happy, because I know you are watching?
May you not have peace.
And vengeance is for the Lord.
Na Mungu atatupigania!
Wakenya tusimame imara.
Chris’ death will not go in vain.
Tumekataa!
To Chris,
We are gathered here to celebrate your life and the numerous ways you meaningfully impacted each of us.
Chris, you meant so much to so may; very many.
It is simply impossible to do you adequate justice with my words alone.
I will do best with God on our side and Kenyans by our side.
You were a brilliant boss. That’s for sure.
A great friend.
A loving son.
A cherished brother.
An extra-ordinary uncle.
A trusted brother in law.
Beloved son in law.
Preacher to many.
AND TO ME, MY LORD.
You made friends wherever you went because you knew both how to and choose and engage with everybody regardless of their calibre.
You had no boundaries.
You engaged and gave people a lot of your time and advice.
Filled with joy my sweet, you were delighted with the birth of your children.
To the family and to Kenya, we feel it is a big gap.
And we don’t know how we will fill the shoes.
It is not easy.
You were delighted about the birth of your children and you would save up to give them the best education and buy them the latest toys.
We all agree that that Chris brought the best fun and he was crazy at times, but in a good way.
Chris loved and cherished his family as well as his friends.
It took a single day to win me over to become the partner of your life.
Captivating, kind, and a gentleman in every sense of the word, he truly had a gift of winning everyone to his side.
And that can be seen. No one voted manually because of the hard work he put.
Our steps quickly aligned in one direction and drew into a journey we have been in the last 12 years.
I thank God for this privilege he accorded to me to be part of Chris’ beautiful, extraordinary, exciting and fulfilling life.
Christopher my sweet, your spirit, your soul, your amazing ability to give and enlighten will always be with us.
It will live in the stories people are sharing now.
Of how you touched lives.
Things will never, ever be the same again but the world is better for the years my beloved in it.
It is in my prayer Chris that I, as I have trusted in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding, in all my want, I have acknowledged the Lord.
He shall direct your path.
His favour be continuously upon you.”
Go well Chris. Even in death, we celebrate you. History shall never forget.