Uhuru picks out old friend from the crowd

President Uhuru salutes the veteran singer

“Ururururu mwanaa tiga kurira” (oh baby stop crying) is the chorus of a popular Kikuyu song “Onga Munyonyi”. Most music lovers know the song by Dick Njoroge alias Munyonyi, which was a hit in the 1980s. But unfortunately, many Kenyans can’t pick the man who sang the popular song out in a crowd. But President Uhuru Kenyatta can.

President Uhuru salutes the veteran singer

He did just that when he picked Munyonyi, 65, from the crowd by calling out his name during his tour of Kiambu County last week.

Mr Munyonyi’s encounter with the President outside Gatundu Level Four Hospital brought him instant fame in his village.

But what locals didn’t know is that this was the second time the President was seeking the musician’s attention and requesting him to visit him at State House.

During the president’s visit to Kayole, Nairobi, eight months ago, Munyonyi was busy recording a video with his son, who is also a musician when the President’s spotted Munyonyi busy strumming his guitar and dancing. He sent his bodyguards to ask for his mobile phone number.

“Due to old age, I did not remember the number off-head and that is how I missed a visit to State House,” he said. But what is it about the President and Munyonyi?

Well, there is no doubt that Kenyatta, like many other Kenyans, likes the musician’s songs. But there is more than that.

The two are old friends. Munyonyi said he first met the Uhuru when he (Munyonyi) performed alongside the legendary Gikuyu musician Joseph Kamaru during Uhuru’s wedding ceremony many years ago. But his relationship with the Kenyatta family goes back further.

“I was close to Ngengi Muigai and that is how I met President Kenyatta. I was in Ngengi’s campaign team and when Uhuru joined politics, he also requested me to be in his campaign team,” he said. Munyonyi’s wife Peninah Waithera, 45, said she was exhilarated by the news.

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