President Uhuru Kenyatta was a bright, lively but stubborn child while he was in nursery school, according to his teacher, Lorna Kageriza Chayuga.
In an interview with Tuko in 2017, the aged female teacher passionately recalled how strong her bond with the young Uhuru was. She predicted that he would be the president at one time. Their relationship was birthed when she was posted to the president's class in 1965.
"When I was doing my training as a nursery school teacher, I was taken to Lady North Home, State House Road, where I was to practise Child Psychology. That is when 4-year-old Uhuru was brought to the nursery school. He was placed under my responsibility as the Baby Class was under my jurisdiction. It was a school of Europeans and he was the only black student," Kageriza recalled.
What astounded the tutor was the high intelligent quotient of Jomo Kenyatta's (Kenya's first president) son. Uhuru was a quick learner and shared his knowledge with Kageriza.
"I taught him Kiswahili and English while he taught me Kikuyu. I had to grasp whatever he told me and then I ran to have it translated by another trainee like me in the same school,"
Uhuru adored Kageriza, as he used to follow her everywhere she went. Kageriza was the only trainee Uhuru would allow to change his diapers when he soiled himself. Kageriza would also listen keenly and play around with him. According to her, a nursery teacher had to obey anything a little child requested, even if it meant going out of her way.
"You have to do everything a kid tells you, even if he tells you to bend on your knees like a horse you have to go down and carry him like a horse. That is what we were taught," she happily recollected.
"My Uhuru was a very stubborn boy. If he caught a European child's hair, he would twist it while laughing until he remained with chunks of the hair in his hand. He would then run to me and triumphantly announce his victory. 'Teacher, I have defeated her!' He would state. I was always left wondering what to do with him. We feared so much that we could not even pinch him when he wronged. What if he went to report. I used to ask myself what if I beat him then they summon me and jail me? We all feared because he was the president's son.
"I analysed him psychologically and I saw he was revenging how the Europeans tortured his father. I could not report him to the Europeans because they could beat him. He was black like me. I had to protect him," Kageriza stated.
Despite his cheekiness, Kageriza praised Uhuru's leadership skills and obedience when warned to stop his aggressiveness.
"He was like his father. He had a commanding voice. Training him enabled me to pass and I was given a scholarship to Japan to upgrade my education. I returned later and taught him again together with Achieng Oneko's son at All Saints Cathedral. I laugh alone when I reminiscence those good old days and seeing him fulfil my dream of seeing him govern this country," Kageriza enthusiastically stated.
Video courtesy of Tuko
