NABII ELIJAH MASINDE
“Prophet” Elijah Masinde was a freedom fighter and the founder of Dini Ya Msambwa which was a religious political sect.
A rebel ,he not only distressed the colonial government but also caused consternation among politicians in independent Kenya.
Masinde was born in Kimilili , Bungoma and belonged to the Bukusu.During his youth he distinguished himself as a talented footballer who later captained the Kenya National football team in the 1930 gossage cup tournament.
Throughout his youth he was under the care of Christian missionaries who apart from giving him a plot on the mission’s land also gave him a job as “process server” attached to the local native court.
His problems with the missionaries began when he married a second wife.Polygamy was considered to be against christian teachings and Elijah was therefore ordered to vacate the land he had been occupying and also stopped from partaking the sacrament by the missionaries
After his expulsion,Elijah claimed to have communicated to God and suggested to him that there should be a black christ for the black man and a Christianity which would allow polygamy.
He alleged that God replied ,telling him that his request was reasonable but it could not be granted so long as there were Europeans on African land. He also declared that men and women should be circumcised.
Elijah had already started gaining followers based on these claims.
In 1944 he was sent to jail and fined for failing to obey colonial administration order to desist from teachings likely to breach peace.
On his release ,he was involved in another incident when he threatened to assault one African agricultural officer and his European assistant for forcing him to remove Mexican Marigold weed from his compound.
The European assistant filed a case against him ,but before the case was heard more serious charges had been brought against Elijah for assaulting government officials who had gone to summon him to attend chief's baraza on civil conscription to serve in world war ll.
He was found guilty and was sentenced to a term in prison ,as he was being taken away to prison he declared:
“I shall come back and when i come back the European assistant agricultural officer will have gone and his house will have burned down.”
Mid way through his prison term the colonialists thought he was mad and took him to a mental hospital,but after spending some months under observation, the Hospital authorities declared him sane and recommended his release from prison.
Elijah returned home as he had prophesied,his enemy ,the European Agricultural officer, had been transferred and his house burned down.
With all his prophecies being fulfilled the prestige of Elijah was now higher .
In January 1948, a few weeks after his release, his followers attacked a British Police officer at Malakisi ,the police opened fire and eleven Africans were killed. Elijah went into hiding after the incident.
He was caught after three months and was detained on Lamu island ,but was later transferred to Marsabit after he complained
While Elijah was still languishing in Prison his disciple called 'Luca of the divine tooth' had taken over and was preaching the doctrines of Elijah to the Pokot around lake Baringo.
Luca had a gold tooth in his jaw which he claimed God had given him.Like Elijah he proclaimed the ejection of Europeans and called upon the pokot to accompany him to Zion on Mount Elgon where a major revelation was to be made.
When the rumour reached the British authorities a detachment of armed police officers led by the district Commissioner was despatched to track them.
They were found near Lake Baringo armed with spears and shields ,what followed is what is today known as the battle of Baringo ,fought on April 24th 1950.
The District Commissioner,2 British Police officers and one African police officer were killed by spears the police opened fire in retaliation killing 29 members of Dini ya Musambwa among them Lucas of the divine tooth .
By 1960 independence was in sight ,agitation for the release of Elijah Masinde began to form among Africans ,and finally after being in prison for more than 10 years he was released in August 1961.
Elijah’s long stay in prison did not seem to have changed his character.
One of his first public statement was to announce his intention of sueing the British for compensation.
On January 7th 1962 he addressed a political rally at Kitale organised by KANU and attended by Jomo Kenyatta.
At the rally Elijah referred to Jomo as “God’s servant”
A few days later, a meeting of 70 chiefs and elders was convened by the Bungoma District Commissioner R F Winser to discuss Dini ya Musambwa.
At the meeting Elijah’s teachings were denounced as misleading wicked and dangerous to the development of Bungoma.
The chiefs and elders called upon the government to impose restrictions on Elijah and asked the community to ignore his teachings
He was arrested again on October 30th 1962 along with four of his supporters and charged with holding a public meeting without a licence and behaving in a manner likely to breach peace.
When he appeared in court Elijah told the judge that he wished the government to put him in prison .
“...because i'm tired of police threats ,twice i have been threatened with guns ,therefore i prefer to be put in prison ,most of the time since 1945 i was in prison.”
Masinde was detained for another 15 years and was released in 1978 .
He was again detained for his constant clashes with traffic police officers in Webuye and Kitale .
He died in 1987.