Heartbreaking tales of perverts stalking boys with broken hearts in the name of charity

By Peter Kimani

I wanted to say I’m heart-broken after reading heart-breaking stories from home, but I held the thought because one of the suspects purports to mend broken hearts for a living, so he could be recommended for my treatment.

That’s what Prof Philipp Bonhoeffer officially came to do in our country from 1995, running medical clinics for children with heart conditions and, now we hear, his treatment included sexually molesting poor, vulnerable boys under his care.

Incidentally, the British medic, who worked as head of cardiology at a top paediatric hospital in London did not abuse British kids. Kenya, and other countries in Europe, is where he exported his perversion.

It is not surprising; we welcome foreigners unconditionally, and issue visas at the airport. Like a pit latrine, Africa accepts all, even dysentery.

Victims voice

Adding anger to a simmering heartache, I suspect, might lead to a heart attack. But it is reasonable to get angry and to demand some answers.

I hear many victims have spoken, and their testimonies led to the eventual deregistration of Bonhoeffer from the British medical register. I’m waiting to hear from institutions that brought him to our shores.

Newspapers in Nairobi and London say Bonhoeffer was offered a flat at the Mater Hospital for use during his medical work and boys were reportedly sneaked in for overnight stay. One can only assume boys cannot move around unnoticed since they cannot fit in travel or even shopping bags. Somebody must have looked the other way as they were shuttled in and out of Bonhoeffer’s flat.

The hospital administration routinely invites scribes to cover the many acts of charity by foreigners; now they must invite them and share the story of their uncharitable guest, and the measures they have put in place to prevent further abuse of Kenyan children.

Free paedophiles

When one Marsabit boy was abused way back in 1995, and complained he had been touched inappropriately, the medic claimed he was searching for a vein to inject medication.

What I find surprising is that Bonhoeffer is not in jail. Some of his victims are afraid of testifying because of the stigma that homosexuality carries in our land, and because we have internalised the tendency to blame the victim.

But there can be no greater travesty of justice than watching paedophiles who have scarred our children, and ruined them for life, walking scot-free.

Something heart-warming happened in America this week. A paedophile by the name of Jerry Sandusky was jailed for life, also for molesting boys under his care from around 1994.

Like Bonhoeffer, Sandusky preyed on disadvantaged boys left under his care. He was a top coach at Penn State University, which had one of the most successful teams in American college football, a multi-million dollar enterprise.

When a junior coach reported he had seen Sandusky raping a boy in the shower, the head coach and other university administration ignored the matter so as not to disrupt the lucrative sponsorship deals. Emboldened, Sandusky went on violating boys.

When the scandal ruptured in the open last year, virtually everybody involved or implicated in the cover-up – from the university president – were fired and all Penn State football wins since 1998 were reversed, its football programme suspended for years and a $60 million fine slapped on the school.

 Sandusky was jailed for life this week. Bonhoeffer is still a free man. Don’t tell me it’s because the abuse took place in Kenya.

That would break my heart beyond repair.

Why giving gratuity to our MPs is a gesture of grace

I think we have been rather mean to our MPs over that Sh2b send-off package that was to provide them some modest gratuity of about Sh7m once their term in Parliament ends in a few months.

Since we have entertained every other whims that our honourable MPs have made over the past four years, I was thinking it is fair to honour their very last request.

It just won’t matter. After all, we have paid for their interest-free car loans, Sh10m mortgage, about Sh1 million monthly pay to augment what House Speaker Kenneth Marende – in his Solomonic – still regards as peanuts.

That was before teachers turned the expression on its head and produced simsim. MPs earn peanuts, teachers earn simsim, the teachers sang in the streets for three weeks, before learnt to bellow their demands “aye” style, like our MPs. When they did that, their pay-pack was released instantly – even after constant pleadings from rat-man Njeru Githae that the Government was poor as a church mouse.

Now you and I, the tax-payers, have to pay many new taxes, because the Government needs extra resources for its ever-increasing payroll.

Which is why Prezzo should reconsider his decision on MPs’ Sh2b package. After all, most MPs will not see the inside of Parliament again and it’s hard getting back on the job market after you have been making a fool of yourself for four years.

In that connection, let’s heed the prayer a Facebook friend posted on Wednesday: “Today is World Mental Health Day,” he wrote. “Kindly remember your Member of Parliament.”

A home fit for the CJ should remain open night and day

Our appetite for putting up abodes “befitting” our many public servants appears to be growing by the day. Next in line is the Chief Justice’s residence.

From the specifications published in the media, I initially thought the building is part of our Vision 2030 infrastructural development programmes.

I’m yet to understand how the CJ’s sleeping ways have got anything to do with service delivery in our courts.

Yet, that’s not to say the residence is neither necessary nor timely. We just need to make proper use of it.

In line with our Vision 2030, where a 24-hour economy is operable, let’s keep the courts open overnight to make use of the Chief Justice’s enhanced access through the proposed residence.

After all, the residence is meant to facilitate conveniences for the proper discharge of his State duties, not just for him kuregarega (idling).

While still at it, before the construction tenders are opened, perhaps we should consider letting the CJ consider taking up the Sh400m Veep’s residence, which remains unoccupied.

I suspect that the Veep, in keeping with his indecisive character, cannot quite decide whether to move in or not. Or perhaps he has seen the katikati (middle) way that could take him to State House instead.