Artiste who performed for Mzee Moi

When the body of former President Daniel arap Moi landed at the Kabarak Airstrip on Wednesday, there was an artiste at hand to sing his favourite hymn.

As military officers formed a row on each side of the casket, Kepha Bwonda stood by, ready to belt out “Where We’ll Never Grow Old” to welcome Moi home for the last time.

Bwonda, also known as Pharry-K, did a two-minute presentation of the hymn written by singer Jim Reeves before the body was taken to Kabarak University grounds for a funeral service.

The song, “Where We’ll Never Grow Old”, was one of the retired President’s favourite tunes, and his family requested Bwonda to perform it one last time, as he had been doing for the past nine months to cheer up Mzee.

“Mzee Moi’s favourite hymn was put in the programme to welcome him back home before he was laid to rest. Mzee had developed a liking for soft, soothing music, perhaps to prepare his soul for the world yonder,” says Bwonda.

Beautiful home

He adds that the former Head of State lived by teachings of Ecclesiastes 3 about there being a time for everything, including a time to be born and a time to die. 

“He seemed ready for Heaven,” says Bwonda.

According to the artiste, Mzee fancied the Jim Reeves song, whose lyrics talk of Heaven, describing it as thus: “A land far away, a beautiful home for the soul built by Jesus...where people never grow old.”

Bwonda, however, says the song was not new at Moi’s Kabarak home.

“I had performed it on several occasions, including during the funeral of the former Head of State’s son, Jonathan, last year,” he recalls.

The singer says although the hymn is famous, the touch of country music made Moi love it even more.

“He (Moi) generally loved hymns and loved them even more when given a touch of country music. I have been performing for him since May last year and would blend in some Kalenjin words,” Bwonda adds.

The 30-year-old artiste eulogised the former Head of State as a true icon.

He recalled how he met Moi and how their friendship grew tighter every time he performed for him.

“Rev Paul Ombati, a chaplain at Kabarak Chapel, introduced me to the former Head of State more than a year ago. Plans were made and I finally met Mzee Moi, who would ask me to come over to his home to perform his favourite hymns,” recalls Bwonda.

Moi, the singer says, enjoyed Christian country music hymns and would hum and tap along as he performed.

Bwonda recalls the time the family was mourning Jonathan in April last year when they invited him to perform.

“The first time I performed for Mzee, Jonathan had just passed on and the AIC Kabarak chaplain and Kabarak University Vice-Chancellor Henry Kiplagat had hinted at hymns which Mzee loved. It was a humbling experience. He was very emotional and he really loved the songs especially the one I performed during the funeral,” Bwonda says.

From then on, Bwonda would frequent Moi’s home whenever the family invited him, especially when Mzee was out of hospital and was recuperating, or even in low spirits and needed some soothing music to uplift him.

“Sometimes he could choose a hymn, which I performed and sometimes Prof Kiplagat and Rev Ombati picked the hymns, which he loved so I could perform for him,” he adds.

Most of the times, Moi would listen to the hymns along with Baringo Senator Gideon Moi and sometimes with his close family members.

Bwonda says his love for Christian hymns stems from his love for country music, which his family back in Kisii always loved.

“My dad, Mr Zacharia Bwonda, a retired music and English teacher, always loved country music. Jim Reeves, the gospel music maestro was my biggest inspiration growing up. My mum, Esther Bochere, who passed on when I was ten, loved gospel music, too,” he says.

Although Bwonda is little known, there is no doubt that he dines and wines with “big people”.

Besides performing at Jonathan’s funeral last year, Bwonda was also the guest artiste at State House presidential luncheon after the 2019 Madaraka Day celebrations in Narok.

He also performed for First Lady Margaret Kenyatta during last year’s world Aids Day celebrations.

“I have been nominated twice internationally for awards by IGARA (Independent Gospel Artiste Radio Alliance) for Radio Alliance Awards as an alternative Christian Song of the Year award in Jacksonville Florida.

In Kenya, he has also been awarded a “Special Recognition Award” in GASU AWARDS - (Gusii All Stars United) by Governor James Ongwae for his exceptional performance of Christian country music

“Most of my performances are in the US. So far, I have recorded 18 albums with over 1,000 stage performances, locally and internationally,” he adds.

His greatest achievement, he says, was performing for the retired president, where he could easily interact and do renditions of his favourite hymns.

“The thought of Mzee Moi appreciating my music is worth more. He believed in me and nurtured talent. I will miss him dearly,” he says.

Rev Ombati says Bwonda, who hails from Kisii County, is one of the few local musicians with unique talents in the gospel music industry.

“Moi had a unique taste for Christian hymns and to choose a young talented man to entertain him in his last days is an honour to the young musician,” he says.

Bwonda started his singing career in 2005.