He is one of the few police officers in 254 who can sit down with a journalist to blow up two for the road without that unfounded 'Utumishi' fear of being recorded or getting filmed secretly.
By Ndung'u Wa Gathua
James Njuguna Mwaura has come to prove that a gun and a pen share no enemity but synergy, unlike what many of us may want to wrongly believe.
Policing and Journalism are all about serving the people and, therefore, akin to each other.
That said, Njuguna alias Joe Gunaa is among the few classmates that to this day I continue to interact with closely. He is always a phone-call away.
In high school, just like Ngahu, his mischievousness exceeded that of a monkey.
For instance, in Form 3 (2006) while serving as the Games Captain, he had the guts to organize a 'karata-like' football game between Form Threes and Form Fours (boys) where the winners would take home some money that had been contributed by all participants for that purpose.
Everything had gone as planned until the Form Fours were defeated and a bitter fight ensued between the two camps as money came into play. It was so bad that the school administration came to learn of this misadventure the following day.
Few months later, as we headed to Form Four, Joe was fired at the school assembly on a Friday morning after he failed to be named in the new 'cabinet' line-up that I was to head throughout 2007 as the school captain.
Baba Jeremy was to become the laughing stock in our class that whole day and weeks to come. As I compiled the General Cleaning Rosta, I remember specifically Ngahu and another guy from Mataara (Benson) pushing me so hard to allocate Joe to be among the toilet cleaners team.
Reason? As 'prefect on duty' during his times in the old cabinet, they argued, Joe would pour a lot of detergent in the toilets to ensure they kept cleaning the foam unsuccessfully. It was true by the way. The guy was a tyrant of a sort then perhaps only second to Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini.
'Njugunui' was the founder of Rice Eaters Party that came into being after a new principal (Miss Njoroge) joined Mwagu in late 2006 and spiced the school's eating programme by introducing 10am chocolate drink and rice that was to be served every Thursday alongside some useless beef bones.
Joe Gunaa (Facebook) would popularize his virtual party which was basically meant to sabotage my new 'government's' authority. The party was a formidable force that encompassed members from every form. I had to make a lot of compromises with Joe, the party leader.
At one point, I even formed PUNDA Kenya (People's Union National Democratic Alliance of Kenya) headed by Mr Ngahu who was my henchman to counter the militia-like Rice Eaters Party. Ngahu was an unreliable guy then.
He was corrupted by the Rice Eaters militias and assumed a role of a double-spy; He would run with the hares and hunt with the hounds which left me with very few options. Joe was a true Raila Odinga of our time after his firing. Eventually, we formed a working coalition with Joe and the rest is history.
JAMES NJUGUNA MWAURA....this is what you wrote on my FAREWELL 13 years ago.
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