THERE IS NOTHING LIKE KUKALIWA NA BIBI!! Unbelievable! MAINA KAGENI IN THE MORNING.

By Cabu Gah

MAINA KAGENI IN THE MORNING: THERE IS NOTHING LIKE KUKALIWA NA BIBI.

Allow me to start this little article thus,My father,Mr. Peter Gachie was a Banker. Now he's retired.

Dad worked at the Kenya Commercial Bank from 1975 till he retired in the early 00's...He started at the bottom,like everybody else,rising through the ranks to eventually become a Branch Manager for KCB in many different locations nationally.

And Mum was a loans officer with the Agricultural Finance Corporation(AFC). Mum is also retired.

Now,that alone tells You that,as people who are working with such national corporations,a TRANSFER is inevitable.

Now,there was this time Mum was transferred to Chuka. To work at the AFC Branch in Chuka. I was around 2 months old. And since I have a twin brother,then it means that Mum had to move to Chuka with 2 little tots. Aged 2 months

I had older siblings as well(Am the last born),and because Mum's job was so demanding, and her salary wasn't as huge as Dad's, it was decided that Dad stays with the other kids.

Dad was working in Kisumu. As the KCB Branch Manager. And so,Dad moved in with my other elder siblings. Dad rented a 3-bedroom house at an Indian housing estate in Kisumu,moved with his kids, some of whom were as young as 2 Years,and started living with them.

Dad hated house girls. And vowed NEVER to employ one. And so Dad lived with my other siblings, raising them,cooking for them when he could,tucking them in bed,waking them up in the morning, making them breakfast and dropping them to school.

And in Chuka,Mum stayed with Us too. But Mum had a house girl. Because we were too Young.

And during her stay in Chuka,Mum and Dad had a car accident. Dad was driving.

Dad didn't hurt much. But Mum had a leg injury that meant that she had to stay in hospital for a while.

And guess what Dad did?? He gently fired our Chuka house girl took us in(Me and My twin bro) and took us to Kisumu with him.

At Kisumu,we stayed for a little while before Dad was transferred to a place called Kimende,in Kiambu. And together with us,Dad moved to Kimende. To stay with us again.

My elder sisters tried requesting Dad to employ a house girl and he said a FLAT NO.

Dad always said he hated sleeping under the same roof with a woman who was not related to him. Or his kids.

During the same time,Mum left hospital. And requested Dad to send him "huto tutoto tudogo(Me and my twin bro).

Dad said NO. "Nitakaa nao" He must have told Mum.

And just like that,Dad stayed with us. Alone. And when 2 of my slightly elder sisters were old enough to go to boarding school, Dad sent them over to Elite Schools in Nyahururu.

And stayed back with Jim(my bro) and I. Little as we were. Doing all he could for us...Feeding us,Bathing us and dressing us too. And because he was so used to house duties,whenever Mum visited us in Kimende from Chuka, Dad would act like MUM wasn't even there....as in,He would still cook,run around,bring groceries home from work and run the house even when Mum was present.

He was so used to house chores. To regular 'mother' duties. It wasn't a big deal anymore. He did this until Mum was transfered to Embu. And she took us with her to join Class One at Saint Peters and Paul Primary School in Embu.

I have seen DAD do "Women" duties. And I have heard enough stories from my elder siblings of how Dad was "the Mum" of the 1980's.

Dad himself repeats this to us a thousand times. " Ní nie damùrerire. Mwarí anini mùno mùtingíririkana. Toria Mamiguo...." Dad often says.

(TRANSLATION: I am the One who brought You up. You were too little You cannot remember. Just ask Your Mother).

And to this day,I have NEVER seen Mum disrespect Dad...Never seen her scold him,disobey him,sneer at him or undermine him.

NEVER EVER.

And so WHEN I HEAR Men telling MAINA KAGENI that they cannot CLEAN or COOK or CHANGE DIAPERS in their homes for fear of "Kukaliwa na Bibi" I feel like vomiting.

I wish Dad listens to Classic 105. Unfortunately, He doesn't. He would verbally beat these cheap men to death!

If a MAN like my fathet would COOK,CLEAN,WASH AND CHANGE HIS KIDS IN 1980's,there is NO season that cannot happen in 2014!

Men DONT DO IT BECAUSE they are powerless, they do it because the WIFE is overwhelmed!

A busy wife is a tired wife. And a tired wife is a prosperous wife.

If she is working too hard or too far there ain't NOTHING wrong with Cooking for her,Changing those kids,Cleaning them,feeding them and taking them to bed.

NOTHING WRONG.

Its 2014. Money is becoming harder to make. And women are working harder than before.

Its NOT called KUKALIWA. Its called KUSAIDIA.

I am 100% ready to clean,cook, wash utensils and change my kids diapers 20 times per week when am married.

If she LOVES You,she CANNOT KALIA You for washing bowls. She will SHUKURU You.

STOP LYING TO THE WORLD: INSTEAD of claiming that "Mnaogopa Kukaliwa" just say that You are simply LAZY. Its better that way!

Washing a dirty bowl is NOT a sign of inferiority. Neither is feeding the Baby.Its a sign of Masculine confidence. A sign of CONTROL.

Damn,in this day and age,I wouldn't even mind washing her underwear!

Its 2014 for Christ's sake! Not 1814! Times have changed. So should Men! Kukaliwa,My ass!

Cabu Gah's parents»»