Late Wahome remains king of humour, decades later

By KENNETH KWAMA

One of Kenya’s most decorated humourists, the late Wahome Mutahi, had a way with words. He penned several humorous stories in the course of his career endearing himself to thousands of readers.

The jury is still out there on whether he was the funniest writer during his time, but nobody has ever disputed the fact that he had a way with words. It was the way he made complicated topics so light that set him apart, an ability to appeal to people across all divides.

He crafted his anecdotes from the familiar space, with his family as his playground. He had two daughters, Investment and Pajero and appropriately referred to his wife as Thatcher and loved poking fun at the communal misery of Kenyans.

He would justify his verbosity by saying that it was a season of words, “fat words, thin words, short words, tall words, healthy words, sick words, lame words, walking words and limping words”.

Next week Monday will mark a decade since his death, which resulted from a botched operation on a growth on his neck. Mutahi went into a coma after the operation at Thika District Hospital and was admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital from March 7 until his death on July 22, 2003.

ways of the city

He pioneered his column ‘Whispers’ at the Standard Group, where he had a slot on page seven in the Sunday paper. One of his most memorable pieces for Sunday Standard was published on July 17, 1983.

The piece was about a single lady whose ways in the city were not so appropriate. Wahome conveniently named her Modesty. The article opened with the lady swearing in her native Kikuyu language that the villagers won’t see her until the rains are over.

“That was Modesty, little known to you perhaps but still, a paragon of virtue, very much in character most of times. Modesty whispered those words in style - her hips gyrated in rhythm with the declaration for the benefit of all. It was later said - not whispered – that Modesty was swearing not to go to that place some call reserve,” wrote Mutahi.

On trial

That was vintage Mutahi, who fondly called himself Son of the Soil. People still fondly remember some of his stories and it’s not uncommon to hear comparisons every time someone tries to come up with a humour column.

In fact, his death left a gaping hole that no single writer has been able to fill. All attempts at the genre by new writers, who have columns in some dailies, have never matched up.

His wife, Ricarda Njoki Wahome, lodged a case at High Court a year after the death of her husband, but it took nine years for it to go on trial.

The widow, a nurse at a Government hospital, is seeking special damages of Sh395,000 and general damages for pain and suffering, unlawful death, and loss of dependency.