Stories From The Past (2025)

11/04/2024

A Lesson in Kindness

In the bustling heart of the market, where the cacophony of life’s melodies found a curious harmony, a young boy of six, with a maturity that seemed to stretch beyond his tender years, guided his little sister, barely four, through the throng of people.

He kept a vigilant eye on her, ensuring the comforting tug on his hand remained constant. Yet, in a fleeting moment, he felt its absence.

He stopped abruptly, heart skipping a beat, to see her several steps behind, her gaze locked with wonder on the vibrant display of a toy shop window.

He backtracked to her side with a patience that belied his age. “Do you see something you like?” he asked, his voice a gentle murmur laden with an elder brother’s concern.

Her response was silent, a tiny finger pointing at a doll that smiled back as if it knew her deepest wishes.

With a nod, he took her hand more firmly this time and guided her into the shop, where the doll was soon cradled in her arms, her joy bubbling over.

The shopkeeper, from behind the counter, watched the scene unfold with a blend of amusement and admiration softening his features. As the boy approached, earnest eyes looking up, he asked, “What is the cost of this doll, sir?”

The shopkeeper, his heart a repository of life’s countless storms yet still capable of warmth, regarded the boy with a smile. “What can you offer?” he inquired, his tone weaving kindness with curiosity.

The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a collection of seashells.—each representing a memory not just of carefree days by the sea, but of the last holiday they’d taken as a family, a touching reminder of the love that once enveloped them.

The shopkeeper, playing along, took the shells, feigning a consideration of their value. Catching the boy’s anxious gaze, he quickly reassured, “These are more than enough. Let me give you back the extra.”

Only four shells were kept; the rest returned. Relief washed over the boy’s face, lighting it up with a grateful smile as he and his sister left with a new treasure held tightly.

A servant of the shop, having observed the entire exchange, turned to the shopkeeper in disbelief. “Sir, to exchange such a costly doll for mere shells?”

The wisdom in the shopkeeper’s eyes shone as he smiled, a deep warmth there. “To us, they are but shells. To that boy, they represent a fortune. He knows not yet the weight of money, but in time, he will.

And perhaps, he’ll remember not the doll, but the kindness that made its acquisition possible.

May it teach him to keep hope alive, to believe in the goodness that dwells in the hearts of strangers.”

🦋Moral of The Story🦋

The moral of the story is that acts of kindness and understanding can have a profound impact, offering light during times of darkness and teaching valuable lessons about compassion, the true nature of value, and the strength of the human spirit to find hope and joy even amid sorrow.

23/01/2023

On this day... Death of Chang & Eng Bunker~17th January 1874

Chang & Eng Bunker were born in Siam on the 11th May 1811. Chang and Eng, were Siamese-American conjoined twins.

Their fame propelled the expression " Siamese Twins" to become synonymous for conjoined twins in general.

They were widely exhibited as curiosities, and were "two of the nineteenth century's most studied human beings"

Chang and Eng, joined at the waist by a tubular band of tissue about 3.25 inches long and about 1.5 inches in diameter, were born of a half-Chinese mother and a Chinese father.

Their mother reportedly said their birth was no more difficult than that of their other several siblings'.

Their father, Ti-eye, was a fisherman, who died when the twins were young, possibly in a smallpox epidemic that ran through the area in 1819.

Their exact details of their early lives are unclear.

Chang and Eng were 17 years old, when they traveled to the United States.
They arrived in Boston on August 16, 1829.

They were soon inspected by many physicians.

Their arrival was excitedly reported in newspapers with varying degrees of racial stereotypes and falsehoods.

After leaving the United States, they toured major cities in Britain, and by the time they returned to New York in March 1831, the twins had gained some skill in English reading, writing, and speaking.

When touring in cities, the twins stayed at hotels, where they charged audiences to attend their "freak show".

In small towns, their manager would send flyers ahead of their arrival, and they would remain at a lodge or inn for just one or two nights.

The twins performed physical feats, running and doing somersaults.
An emphasis was placed on their exoticness: they wore pigtails and dressed in "Oriental" clothing.

Their performances occasionally featured swimming, playing checkers, and doing parlor tricks.

In 1843, Chang and Eng married, sisters Adelaide and Sarah Yates, daughters of a respected local landowner.

While the girls had a “fair share of suitors,” the brothers had gotten to know them over several years, often visiting upon their return from business travels, and befriending the entire family.

The two couples — and they were unquestionably, two distinct couples, lived in separate homes, with the brothers alternating half weeks with each of their Wives.

Each wife gave birth in 1844.
While no details survived about how the couples conducted their intimacy, it’s worth noting that the brothers’ first children were born six days apart, and a later pair eight days.

They would go on to have an astounding 21 children, between them.

In early October 1860 they signed with famed showman P.T Barnum for a month and exhibited in Barnum's American Museum in New York City.

They performed for several distinguished guests, including The Prince of Wales.

By the time the Civil War ended in 1865, the twins' finances had taken a hit, so they decided to resume touring.

Chang and Eng made a trip to Britain in 1868–69, seeing physicians and chatting in exhibitions; their last visit there had been over 30 years before.

Chang's daughter Nannie, who had never before been far from home, and Eng's daughter Kate, both in their 20s, also came on the trip.

In 1870, Chang suffered a stroke that paralyzed his right side, the side that was closest to his brother.

Eng nursed him back to relative health, as Chang tied up his right leg in a sling and, using both a crutch and his brother’s arm, went about his daily routine.

But he never returned to full health, developed a vicious cough, and took to drinking.

Early in the morning of January 17th 1874, one of Eng's sons checked on the sleeping twins.

"Uncle Chang is dead," The boy reportedly said to Eng, who responded,
"Then I am going too!"

Over the next hour, he suffered intense pain and distress, a cold sweat covering his body.

The only notice he took of his dead twin, was to move his body nearer to him.
Two-and-a-half hours after losing his brother, Eng Bunker died, they were 62 years old.

16/01/2023

In 1978, Robert Nesta "Bob Marley" had returned to his home town after touring and living in the U.K. He was explaining to the youths in the pic that he was Bob Marley and that this was the place that he grew up in. The youths didn't believe him, saying that he is not Bob Marley. that if he was famous, he would have never returned there, to the impoverished place.

It's a very nice pic. when you hear the context of the story, it makes you cry a bit. Seeing how someone, who has made it internationally famous, is returning humbly back to his home village. They said that the more money he made, the more he would give to the poor and fight for the poor. This is why this man remains an inspiration to so many!

14/01/2023

On a chilly evening in Edinburg, Scotland in 1696, twenty-year-old Thomas Aikenhead was walking with three other medical students when he remarked that at that moment he would prefer to be in Hell, where at least he would be warm. A few months later he would be on trial, with his life at stake.

At that time blasphemy was a crime in Great Britain. Under the provisions of a 1695 “Act Against Blasphemy,” any person who “shall in their writing or discourse, deny, impugn or quarrel, argue or reason, against the being of God, or any of the persons of the blessed trinity, or the authority of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, or the providence of God in the government of the world” was subject to imprisonment for the first two offences and death for the third.

Aikenhead was charged with blasphemy in violation of the Act and was brought to trial in Edinburgh in December 1696. Five of his supposed friends testified against him, reporting not only his quip about Hell, but also that Aikenhead had claimed that the Bible was composed of fables and that theology was nonsense, that he scoffed at the doctrines of the trinity and the incarnation, and that he had said he preferred Muhammad to Christ. Upon hearing the evidence, the court found Aikenhead guilty of blasphemy and sentenced him to death.

Aikenhead, who was representing himself, filed an appeal to the Scottish Privy Council, apologizing for his impiety, professing his repentance, noting that he was a man of “tender years,” and pointing out that it was only his first offense. Unpersuaded that his repentance was sincere, the Privy Council announced that it would change the sentence only on the request of the Scottish Kirk (Church). Rather than request clemency, the Church of Scotland demanded that the ex*****on proceed, in order to “curb the abounding of impiety and profanity in this land.” The sentence was affirmed.

After being forced to walk the two miles from his cell to the gallows, Thomas Aikenhead was hanged on January 8, 1697, three hundred twenty-six years ago today. He became the last person to be executed for blasphemy in Great Britain.

12/01/2023

In the original photo taken in 1899, they were described as "Maasai women after arriving with a Somali Caravan at Mumias on 22 July 1899", but to me they appear to be Swahili women. They appear posh and elegant. I never knew umbrellas have been here with us for such a long time. Via Levin Opiyo

11/01/2023

THE ST. KIZITO TRAGEDY: The untold story of how 300 secondary school boys r***d their class girls to death in 1991. The well captured story by True Crime Daniel II . How corruption fueled a strike in a Catholic school in Kenya that left 19 girls dead after a stampede.

05/01/2023

Finally l managed to retrieve the photo of the famous Chief Odera Ulalo of Gem. This photo was taken at Mumias in 1899, just before the operation against the Uyoma.

Odera was a collaborator , who among other things, rounded up natives to work for the British as porters, recruited natives to fight alongside British soldiers as militia men and enjoyed the spoils of war for his loyalty.

In 1899 the British supported by Odera Ulalo and Mumia Shiundu launched an operation against the Luo of Sakwa, Seme and Uyoma for the murder of a chief appointed by the government.

This operation against Luo brought in 2590 cattle. Of these, Odera Ulalo and Mumia were given 200 cows to share , as well as an unknown but very much larger number of small stock.

By 1901, with official opinion increasingly hostile to the use of native mercenaries in operations, and the colonial administration fully established, the officials began keeping almost 100% of the loot. Most of the livestock captured from the natives were sent to Nairobi where they were sold on auction.

Chiefs like Odera and Mumia Shiundu who had been accustomed to recieving part of the loot by assisting the British, were now walking away empty handed. They had become less important to the British, who were now dominant in the local system. The British even began demanding back the cattle they had given these chiefs.

In 1901, Mr Partington, the DC Kisumu , sent a young administrative policeman working for him nicknamed Tumbako to Odera Ulalo to release for sale 100 cattle given to him.

Tumbako went off full of importance and, upon arrival at Odera Ulalo's village in Gem , fired his gun to impress the villagers. Eight months earlier Tumbako who apparently came from the same village as Chief Odera Ulalo, had been reprimanded by the chief for inappropriate behaviour.

This rankled in Tumbako's mind, and he decided that now he was invested with brief authority and protected by his uniform, he could display his power to the chief in revenge.

As soon as he arrived in Odera Ulalo's home, he announced that he had come for the Government cattle and that they were to be ready early the following morning. Odera Ulalo after thinking for some time agreed, and sent off messengers to the villages round to have them picked out and assem- bled.

Next morning they began to arrive, but an impatient Tumbako,announced that he could not wait any longer, and he must make up the numbers that he had been instructed to collect, from Odera Ulalo's own herd, and this he proceeded to do.

Odera Ulalo was heart-broken at seeing this youth, an obscure member of his own tribe, collecting his cattle, the cattle of a chief of an important tribe.

But even more disturbing to Odera Ulalo was Tumbako's announcement that he had express orders from the DC that if the government's cattle were not ready, the deficiency was to be made up from Odera Ulalo's herds."

To Odera Ulalo this meant that his allies, the British colonialists, had lost faith in him. The result of this psychological storm was that Odera slipped away from the crowd of villagers who were watching this extraordinary blow to their chief's prestige, and hanged himself in a hut in 1901.

He was succeeding by Odera Sande who led Gem until his death in 1915, afterwhich Odera Akang'o took over as chief.

03/01/2023

The Supreme Court of Kenya. It was located on the spot where Imenti House currently stands.

The plot was originally owned by Jeevanjee who through his lawyers Daly and Figgis Advocates agreed to relinquish it to the government in exchange of a portion of land of his choice in Ngara and a payment of £20,000.

This offer was accepted by the Colonial Secretary on August 15th, 1925, and Mr.Jeevanjee recieved two plots in Parklands and a payment of £20,000 through the Nairobi Corporation. The only condition that Jeevanjee set was that incase the Supreme Court was to be relocated, then the plot was to be turned into a recreational park.

Jeevanjee then left for India, but was surprised on his return to find the court had been moved to its current location, and the plot had not been converted into a recreational park as he had suggested.

Jeevanjee ,consequently, made an appeal to the Colonial Secretary, who dismissed his claims on grounds that he had no rights to dictate how the plot was to be used since he had already been paid for it.

02/01/2023

A Kikuyu barber shaves a customer as another one waits for his turn along the present-day Kenyatta Avenue in 1911. In the background was the then the grand building of the Nairobi General Post Office.

31/12/2022

These Kenyan porters carried Mrs Bungey from Nairobi to Maseno in 1916. They were twenty in total and took turns to carry Mrs Bungey who sat in a net slung between two poles.

Here they were crossing Sianda stream near daraja mbili Kisumu. Her Husband , Mr Alfred Bungey served as Principal at Kabete, Government African School Kapsabet, and Government African School Machakos.

31/12/2022

Things you didn't know about Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who died aged 95

He was the first Pope to resign inside 600 years.

Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger in South Bavaria, Germany, he was one of the most intellectually endowed to hold a pontificate, his whole life was dedicated to God and the Catholic Church.

The Holy See Press Office said Benedict died in his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, which he had chosen as his residence after resigning in 2013.

After the Second World War, he first studied theology and philosophy and laid the foundation for what was to come when he became a chaplain in Munich in 1951.

Ratzinger then made a name for himself as an academic. First, he obtained a doctorate, then became a professor at the University of Bonn with his inaugural lecture on “the God of Faith and the God of Philosophy”.

He started to build his credentials with the Vatican first with Paul VI, who made him cardinal and then with John Paul II, who made him the most important adviser, close to him in Rome, for almost a quarter of a century.

Four years later, in 1981, Pope John Paul II called Ratzinger to Rome, where he became the prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia.

Ratzinger was henceforth Pope John Paul II’s right-hand man. What the Pope proclaimed, Ratzinger underpinned theologically.

When Pope John Paul II passed away, the connection Ratzinger had built with the latter and the numerous other relationships he had championed within the Vatican became of great value.

Their two pontificates are part of one same long 35-year long period. In the conclave of 2005, the cardinals knew it, and his election was the choice to confirm the direction John Paul II had given to the church since 1978

Ratzinger was considered by many to be one of the most important theologians of our time who knew the Vatican inside out, including processes, institutions, people and machinations of the Curia. He possessed all the prerequisites for a successful pontificate.

Benedict’s outstanding qualities as Pope have been as an intellectual, academic, theologian and teacher.

The late Pope belongs to a separate class in terms of influence, different from any other churchman in the last 50 years.

30/12/2022

Passenger Lounge Nakuru Railway station in 1960.

30/12/2022

In 1969, Brazilian football club Santos embarked on a world tour that took them to different countries including Nigeria.

At the time, Nigeria was engulfed in a brutal civil war. When Pele and his teammates arrived in Nigeria, the two warring factions agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire to enjoy the beautiful game.

During the two days, guns fell silent because Pele was in town. The game ended in a draw with Pele scoring the two goals for Santos. A few days after Pele and his teammates left Nigeria, the war resumed.

30/12/2022

Kisumu Township in 1919. The photo was taken from the direction of Mosque Rd in the CBD near the present day Kenton Square. In the background are the railway hill and the lake. Hobley wrote that Kisumu town was full of small rocks which took him time to clear.

29/11/2021

Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah and his mother Mrs. Elizabeth Nyaniba in 1947 . The photo was taken immediately Nkrumah arrived in the country after 12 years abroad.

When Nkrumah died in exile in 1972, his mother who was around 100 years begged the government to return the body so that she could touch his son for the last time.

Her last meeting with her son, she related, was the day he left for Vietnam in 1966. "He said he would be back after helping to negotiate a peace there,” she said. It was while in Vietnam that Nkrumah was deposed, but only learnt about it after arriving in China. He then fled to exile in Guinea where he lived until his death.

Nkrumah's mother recalled the day his son was overthrown .

“On that night he left , there was shooting in Accra and some bullets came into our house. We sang hymns all night. Soldiers rushed into the house in the morning. I was locked up for nine days. When I was released I was sent here with only the clothes I had on. The possessions I gained over 80 years' time were all gone.”

She died in 1977.

26/08/2021

Swords of Kirinyaga

The third of our big leaders was Mbaria Kaniu. He was born in Njumbi Location, Murang'a District and was circumcised in 1933. He has some Maasai features, but he is pure Kikuyu. He is about six feet tall and like Mathenge, slender and strong.

He went to North Kinangop as a squatter. He was arrested in 1952 and taken to Naivasha Police Station. He was confined there, awaiting a repatriation order to his home district. While there he became familiar with the station plan and later led seventy-five fighters in one of our most successful raids.

No one questioned his promotion to Assistant Field Marshal. Kaniu was a good leader, soft spoken to his warriors and fair in his dealings with them. He used to tell them that nyûmba nene ndîrî mûreri (a large family does not need a guardian).

12/08/2021

THE MAN WHO CONNED BANKS $350 MILLION.

US Marshals are still hunting for John Ruffo who vanished 23 years ago (1998) the same day he was expected to present himself to a federal prison in New York to begin his 17 year sentence for bank fraud.

John Ruffo elaborate scheme to scam financial institutions started in 1993 when he was running a small company in Manhattan that sold and serviced IBM computers. His partner in crime was Edward Reiner an ex employee of to***co giant Philip Morris. Reiner was well known to Ruffo since he used to buy computers for Philip Morris from Ruffo's company.

The two convinced themselves that they could make a windfall by playing the stock market. But they had no cash to buy the stocks. They therefore hatched a plot to convince banks to lend them the money. The plan was to use the loan to buy stocks then sell later, repay the banks and keep the difference. It was as easy as that until it was not.

To convince banks to lend them money, the duo said they were working on a very secret project on behalf of Philip Morris to research on smokeless to***co alternatives and they needed cash to buy computers and hire required staff. They presented the so called project as a super secret that few in Philip Morris even knew about it. This was to prevent banks to contact the to***co giant directly.

When the duo presented their plan to Signet Bank, they made the bank sign a confidential agreement that barred them from discussing the project with anyone. Edward Reiner had previously done business with signet bank when still an employee of Philip Morris. The bank was therefore convinced that the deal is above board. However, the bank asked for an incumbency certificate from Philip Morris signed and sealed giving Reiner authority to conduct business with the bank.

Getting a seal was no big deal in New York. The problem was getting a signature of Philip Morris executive. This they did by posing as employees of a radio station. They called a lowly executive at Philip Morris called Diane McAdams. They informed Diane that she had won a free dinner at a fancy hotel in Manhattan. Diane fell for the scheme and agreed to sign a release order which she sent to them.

The duo used Diane's signature to forge an incumbency certificate which they sent to the loan officer at Signet Bank. Soon after, $25 million was transferred to John Ruffo's account. More banks followed suit and within no time the duo were swimming in cash. In total, the duo received more than $350 million. Edward Reiner bought stocks and a penthouse at Trump Tower. But how John Ruffo spent his share of cash remained a mystery
It was not long before a Japanese Bank started suspecting the incumbency certificate submitted to them by the duo. They faxed a copy to Diane McAdams who confirmed immediately that the certificate was a forgery. The bank contacted Reiner who agreed to meet them together with Diane McAdams at Philip Morris offices. The Japanese bank executive don't know who Diane McAdams is. The duo decided to a lady employee of Ruffo called Jody Bachiman to pose as Diane McAdams.

Little did they know that this was a sting operation. When they appeared at Philip Morris offices, they were immediately arrested by FBI and charged with bank fraud. Reiner was sentenced to 16 years.

John Ruffo was sentenced to 17 years in prison. On 9th November 1998, Ruffo was expected to present himself to federal prison to begin serving his sentence. This was the last time he was seen.
US Marshals have been hunting for him since then to no avail.

Stories From The Past

11/04/2024

23/01/2023

16/01/2023

14/01/2023

12/01/2023

11/01/2023

05/01/2023

03/01/2023

02/01/2023

31/12/2022

31/12/2022

30/12/2022

30/12/2022

30/12/2022

29/11/2021

26/08/2021

12/08/2021

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