Peers I hail from the fertile Slopes of mt Kenya, the wind ward side. Hizi sides ndio kuna the famous nyayo tea plantations stretching all the way from meru passing through Embu up to nyeri. The tea separates homes from the forest.
When i was young there was this sucking quiz watoi walukuwa wakiulizwa. It happens till today kuulizwa kila mara.
“what would you like to be when you grow up?.”
Try that randomly today usikie the funny answers you’ll get from kids. Mi nilitamani kuwa Karao was forest. This is because i grew up in a place where these men were highly feared. Shameful to say that even my dad feared them. I wanted to be as superior as they were. I never knew the actual reason why my dad feared them. But he used to buy timber from indigenous forest trees. Not because the rangers were mightier than him he feared them but this bizz was highly profitable and illegal. Forgive my childish reasoning, I thought he feared them coz they were mightier than him. No. He was a strong man. He feared the law.
Late eighties and early nineties gava iliintroduce game rangers huko kwetu kuzuilia deforestation na poaching. The rangers camps were built in designated areas in the tea estates. Camps Zilikuwa za mabati. These were their hoods and some went for their wife’s back home na kuwaleta Kwa hizo kambi.
I remember kuna ranger mmoja masaai alikuwa mkali hata alikuwa anachapa wamama wakienda kufetch kuni kwa msitu. But there was this other kale guy who was very nice only to specific women. He was a tough ruthless and a greedy cop. Only one time elders kwa kijiji walimlipa akashoot ndovu tukairarua sana sikukuu. That was the only commendable act of favour we that neutralised his weired of character for a short moment and left a mark.
Huyu jamaa pia alikuwa a fire of dreaming from far. Akikushika na mbao za forest, mawindo ama ukilima kyombitho kichakani ungetii. He had deformed many guys caught with illegal timber. He forced some to eat raw meat akikushika umetoka mawindo. Nikiwa class three i rem we went swimming and fishing in the river. Tulikuwa tumefua na kuanika nguo kando ya mto. Huyo jamaa akatupata akabeba nguo. Akatulazimisha kula tusamaki tudogo plus ile bait ya kutega. We used zile roundworms hukaa kwa manure ama swampy areas kutega. Ama grasshoppers. He forced us eat them raw. Sikuwahi kanyaga msituni tena fishing. His beastiality rose mostly akipatana na wanawake ama tudem hivi kichakani. Kila mmoja lazima angeenda home na shoti.
Sasa kuna hii noma ilitokea kwa wamama kipindi fulani. Wengi walizaa at the same time plus watoi walikuwa wanafanana. How could that be possible? This was the worst abomination if the century Kwa kijiji. Kuna wamama wanne walizaa siku moja. Baada ya wiki kadhaa wengine watatu wakazaa day moja. He even impregnated primary sch kids.
Wazee wa kijiji wachachanukia ile miracle design ya zile za Deya. Wakafanya kikao na kuunda committee of investigation. Rumours were spreading too about the fearless, arrogant matapaking ninja that caused breathless days and nights to many villagers.
Siku ya kiama ikawadia. Form ilikuwa kumwangamiza alowatenda unyama wanawake kwa kijiji.
Weakleaks never lied. zilikuwa zimemulika huyo karao mkale. Ile siku kila Mzee akachukua mtoi wake, woote wakakongamana Kwa kambi ya marangers. Pia kila mzee alikuwa amekam na majani yamekauka ya mandizi. Pia kukaletwa mzinga wa nyuki kubwa. Hii ndio stylo mwizi, mchawi, au mtu yeyote amenyemelea boma ya wenyewe alikuwa anachomwa na kubingirishwa kwa mlima.
Yule ranger aliposikia kelele kwa kambi, yeye na maukali zake alichomoka nje na kupatana na macopy cats wake. Watoi woote wanamfana. Alisimama na ile gotora(gun) ya kushoot ndovu. Akavaa sura ya kazi kama Hessy wa Kayole ama wa Dandora. Ready to face umati outside. Akawasha ile robota ya kushtua ndovu akairusha Kwa kirindi. Ililipuka kama risasi imepigwa. Kila msee alikuwa hapo alimalysia mbio design ya safari ya Patrick Njiru. Woote wakaacha watoto plus ile mzinga na manyasi zao.
Wamama wakarudi after kumetulia kuchukua watoto wao. Since that day no one dared step in that ground. But the info reached higher offices and all the rangers there were transfered. The camp was fenced and only young rangers were deployed there. Many of whom were bachelors. In Greek 'Marandi-prulal. ‘Irandi’-singular.
The grounds name became Karandi. Meaning a home of bachelors. Up to date the plave is nicknamed Karandi-iri/karandi-ini.
Now, all kids born in that season are referred to as Rika ria Marandi…
Usishangae siku moja huko kupatana na majamaa born of different mothers but look like identical twins.
Nilipogrow up kidogo nikiona vile wale watoi waretretiwa vibaya na marafiki shuleni, walimu kuwatusi live ati mama zao ni malair wa kupakulia marangers slices, fellow villagers kuwatreat vibaya ata hawakuwa recognized kupewa tuvibarua casual like picking tea and coffee esp when schools were closed. I hated rangers to death. I hated their jobs, I hated their camps, I even never wanted to meet then nikitreak kwenda shule morning. Up to date…karao was forest…mmmmmmm chieth.