Autobiography and Revelation of the Mysteries of Life
By Wandera SGC Bideru
Reviewed by John Paschal Wanyama
An interesting literary development is the increasing writing of memoirs by retired professionals. It is an opportunity to chronicle their highs and lows to inspire future generations.
In this autobiography of retired Deputy Government Chemist Wandera Bideru, he makes intriguing revelations about the mysterious deaths of former Vice-President George Saitoti, ex-Foreign minister Robert Ouko and Fidel Odinga, the firstborn of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
In the past, even people who had compelling stories to tell would be discouraged by the long delays and condescending attitude of publishers. Some kept manuscripts for years and did not publish them. The advent of self-publishing has revolutionised this area.
Thanks to the emergence of e-Books and digital marketing forums such as Amazon, the distribution nightmares that publishers suffered have been eased. Readers can now go online and download the books and the money will eventually reach the writers, as the online marketers and distributors are quite efficient and transparent.
Wandera Bideru’s 168-page book titled Autobiography and Revelation of the Mysteries of Life is divided into 12 chapters.
The 66-year-old writer, who was born near Sio Port on the shores of Lake Victoria in Samia, Busia County, comes across as a person steeped in a heavy dose of religiosity with an inquisitive and searching mind.
In the preface, he writes: “My inner man was sent in the recent past from on high to earth where he landed as a slice of bread. Before he was sent to earth, he had earlier perceived that his spirit was in the hand of Jesus Christ in the high sky.” This is a theme that runs through the autobiography.
In the first chapter, he introduces his complex identity. He writes: “My father called me Sihoomba Njerro Raguumo Wunyohaya, Erogo wa Nariari.” Sihoomba was his grandfather’s surname.
According to Samia cultural traditions, children are “named after fruitful living dead to watch over them and for their remembrance”. The writer’s full name is Wandera Sihoomba Gusiino Chrispus alias Samiaoriginal wa Bideru.
His mother delivered him in the bush at home in Bugulumi Valley in the Magogwe area located between Sio Port (Kenya) and Majanji (Uganda) on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria. A male child born in the bush would be named Gusiino. He says that he much later heard in a dream a man’s voice in the high sky say he was Samiaoriginal.
In November 1989, the author got married to Dr Susan Nduta (PhD) from the Chuka clan of the Ameru people of the Mt Kenya region, and they have three children, two daughters and a son. He had three other children out of wedlock and all his offspring have been educated up to university level.
Wandera Bideru traces his Samia community’s ancestry to Egypt with an impressive genealogy. The place, he explains, was then known as Misiri southwest of the Nile Delta in today’s Lower Egypt. Ancient forerunners of the “Samianites”, he states, had lived and died in Misiri. This is interesting, as the Samia are part of the Luhya community of Kenya, which traces its origin to the Congo Forest.
The author is immensely proud of his father, Bideru, who was forcibly recruited after being abducted in 1915 by the British Colonial Administration to serve in the carrier corps during the First World War (1914–1918). Regaling him with tales about his exploits, his father once told him that he personally witnessed the sinking of Koensberg (Germany’s dreaded warship) at the Port of Dar es Salaam.
In his time, the old man had many run-ins with the colonisers. In 1935, he was forced to run with his hands tied with a rope to a Mzungu’s Land Rover all the way from Ukwala to Kisumu, a distance of nearly 100 kilometres.
According to Wandera, the name Samia is Semitic and not Bantu. From the manner of ancient worship and speech, there appears to be a strong Semitic influence in the ancient life of the Samia people. The writer belongs to the Ababuri clan. Aburi, who was named after a one-horned deer, was the son of Samia, the patriarch of this proud community of nearly 110,000 in Busia County today.
Wandera, who did his early schooling in Busia, notably at Sigalame High School, and in Mombasa, joined the University of Nairobi in 1981 for a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree course, majoring in Chemistry. He graduated with honours in December 1985. He also holds a Master of Public Administration both from the same university.
His first job from September to December 1985 was as a Chemistry teacher at HH Aga Khan Kenya Secondary School in Mombasa. He left to join civil service in January 1986. He worked at the National Public Health Laboratory Services and the Government Chemist for 32 years and six months. He retired as the Deputy Government Chemist (equivalent to Deputy Director) and Head of Toxicology Services in Kenya.
His outstanding achievements include the discovery of titanium metal in rock dust submitted to the Government Chemists’ Department, Mombasa, in 1988 from Kwale, and traces of nuclear waste that had been dumped in offshore waters on the North Coast.
He also led technical teams in investigating the deadly lead metal exposure in the Owino-Uhuru slum at Mikindani, Mombasa, in 2015. Reports of deaths and illnesses from poisoning from a lead metal recycling plant located near a residential area had sparked a furore.
In the same year, he headed a forensic toxicology team that looked into the Thange oil spill in Kibwezi East and investigated the deaths of former Cabinet Minister Mutula Kilonzo in 2013 and businessman and former MP George Thuo in 2013.
Wandera Bideru also led the forensic team that investigated ODM party leader Raila Odinga’s son, Fidel Castro Odinga’s, death in 2015. And he was the lead forensic investigator of the death of former Vice-President George Muthengi Saitoti and Assistant minister Joshua Orwa Ojode in 2012.
The cause of death was multiple injuries and burns in the helicopter crash over the Ngong Hills. Wandera was then the Head of Toxicology Services.
He keenly followed the investigation of the death of former Foreign minister Ouko, especially the proceedings of the Commission of Inquiry chaired by Justice Evan Gicheru. British detective Inspector John Troon and his Scotland Yard team were also engaged. A Parliamentary Select Committee chaired by former Kisumu East MP Gor Sungu did not unravel much.
Wandera says: “I knew the most sought-after truth concerning the death of Dr Robert Ouko would be publicly known only if the person of the Provincial Commissioner whose soul went towards the coast would speak out but his silence reigned for trouble was lurking in the corridors of power.”
On the fatal Saitoti helicopter crash,he says reports indicated that the pilot and the co-pilot had been seen separately partaking of alcoholic beverages on the eve of the accident. “Aware the Aviation Act does not allow a pilot to take control of aircraft having consumed alcohol within eight hours and whose blood alcohol level does not exceed 80mg per 100ml, I was keen to find out the levels of alcohol in the blood of pilot (Luke Oyugi) and co-pilot (Nancy Gituanja).”
That reliable alcohol level in the body is from either vitreous humour (eyeball fluid) or blood drawn from femoral vein. “It’s noteworthy that the blood of the pilot and co-pilot submitted for forensic toxicology analysis was drawn from chest cavities instead of femoral veins, not even vitreous humour.”
In the Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo case, he was found dead in 2013 in his bed at his Maanzoni Ranch in Machakos County. A bloody foam oozed from his mouth and nose. Once again, Wandera was part of the investigating team, which included DCI Serious Crimes Unit personnel at the headquarters on Kiambu Road, Nairobi, and the Chief Government Pathologist.
“I was personally present during the post-mortem examination, which lasted many hours.”
Aware that he had been using an inhaler (a decongestant), Wandera’s considered opinion on the death was as follows:
(1) Pseudoephedrine triggered the causation of the death; and,
(2) There was a hidden hand with knowledge of how technical grade pseudoephedrine drug could cause the user to take an overdose after becoming dizzy and drowsy. He testified during the inquest in a Machakos court in 2018.
“I surrendered to the court his two remaining death trigger pellet drugs under my custody.”
Fidel Odhiambo Odinga was found dead in his bed in his house in Karen, Nairobi, in 2015. This was an unusual death.
Wandera writes: “The primary cause of the death of Mr Fidel Castro Odhiambo Odinga was a mixture of Carbofuran and Cyhalothrin pesticides. The carbamate pesticides were found in the body organs and body fluids at lethal concentrations.”
Fidel was taken ill where he had gone partying, yet no evidence was recovered from there.
The writer demonstrates an amazing depth of knowledge of the Bible, liberally and accurately quoting and explaining the origin of man. The book has a powerful ending.
“Remember your seed was before your tree was, your fruit shall be after your tree is dead, and the afterlife realm is real. Fear not death and those by whom death comes for it is inevitable.”
The book is available in hard copy. The price is Ksh1,000. Contact Chrispus Bideru on Tel. 0721304059: wanderabideru@yahoo.com
jaywanyama22@gmail.com
