Leah Mercy Ngugi: From rejection to redemption and ‘uranyarara niki’ inspiration

Within Kikuyu Gospel Music the song ‘uranyarara niki’ (why belittle me) is a staple in Kikuyu radio stations and has become a spiritual anthem to encourage those whose hopes are dashed by life’s trials and tempests. Yet if anyone was justified from a young age to give up on life, it was the songstress behind the song, Leah Mercy Ngugi.

Early Life Rejection

Leah was born to an unwed mother in Londiani Division Kericho County, over twenty years ago. Her mom conceived her while in high school, Form 2 as a result her well off, educated family due to shame she had brought expelled Leah’s expectant mom from home. Her mom reluctantly went to stay with Leah’s biological dad until she was born, but they separated later.

Frustrations got better of Leah’s mom and she saw her young daughter as reason why her future got destroyed. As a result by the time Leah was 7 years, she experienced lots of psychological and physical abuse from her mom. “She had no ill will but frustrations she got from parents were directed to me,” said Leah. Her mom also married another man and had children. The new step father to Leah, unlike her mom was “friendly” to her, but his intention was to sexually abuse her. It got so bad; that Leah was almost raped by her step father, at age 10.

Fearful of telling her mom since she would be beaten up; her only option was to run from home. She took refuge at a teacher’s home studied and worked as a house girl. Her relief was short lived as her mom came for her, beat her and urged her to leave home and get married. Surprisingly at school, regardless of domestic troubles Leah was academically brilliant and used to be number 1 or 2 in Kericho district at exams. Teachers were lenient on her due to her tough family issues and never punished her when she got to school late.

Fleeing home

With life at home unbearable, Leah travelled to Karatina by lying to get transport there. Getting to Karatina and stranded, a lady about her business noticed and approached her. Leah told her he was waiting for a lady who had promised to employ her as a house girl but couldn’t locate her. The lady gave her a house girl job at her house where besides being beaten, she was overworked and had to draw water from a well and irrigate land every morning and evening. The torture was too much that she fled and lied to get transport to Nyeri.

Homelessness

For two days in Nyeri, she wandered hopelessly and at night, slept in public toilets and bathrooms. By the 3rd day, she had not eaten. She went to a hotel called Munyaka and saw a youthful man on a table by himself. Hungry she gathered courage and told him she was hungry. The man ordered food for her. After eating she poured all her life frustrations on her. It was odd for her since in her life no matter, what she went through she never told anyone. Though the man was startled at first by her story, he broke out laughing. The man told her it’s no big deal and it’s normal to be chased away from home as he had also been chased. Leah got encouraged and saw it as normal to be chased away.

The man offered her a “home” to stay and told her there are others like him who had been chased way. Leah agreed and the man Njoroge later insisted he call her dad.

Living with Gangsters in a Cave

The man took her to a cave hidden in thickets by River Chania minutes away from Karatina town. The cave had thin mattresses, clothes and 5 other men. He introduced Leah to them as his daughter and organized for her, to be getting breakfast, lunch and supper at Munyaka Hotel at his expense. He used to give her money to buy mitumba (second hand) clothes at markets in Nyeri. For Leah, the cave was the best place she had lived. She considered it home since she had been in worse off situations. “I got to sleep without fear and I was happy,” said Leah.

Every evening they left and told her they had jobs of loading dry maize to trucks. They returned in the morning with wrapped up bhang. Leah was given the task of sorting seeds from dried plants. Then she didn’t know it was bhang. When they smoked it, they told her its medicine to treat their brain disorders. They also forbade her to smoke it by telling her if she did, she would be sick like them. But Within her she sensed something was amiss with the men but she was naïve to point it out.

Guns also used to lie around the cave but she had no idea what they were. “I’d never watched TV but I wondered what those were,” said Leah laughing. One day as she wandered around Nyeri she saw a policeman with an AK-47 gun similar to what she saw at the cave. Days later as she wandered in Majengo area a shoot out broke out between thugs and police. To her surprise one of the men involved was a man who lived in the cave. The police apprehended him by shooting his head and foot. Leah ran back to the cave crying and told Njoroge one of the accomplice had been shot. She was scolded by him and asked where she learned that was a shoot out.

Njoroge laughed and dismissed the shoot out as street play. She was warned if she saw that happen again she should run back “home.” He also enquired if she had been followed but she wasn’t. She was also warned never to ask about that particular shot uncle again she never saw him again. Another day as she went to a show in Ruringu stadium after Njoroge gave her Sh200 she bumped into another shoot out. Another of the robber Gichomo in the cave was shot and arrested, Leah never saw him again.

She ran back home with questions on their lifestyle. When she told Njoroge he was livid and insisted to her that was another street play not a shoot out. They were eliminated gradually. The third thug disappeared only Njoroge her “Dad” and Kamau were left. One day when her “Dad” was out Kamau attempted to rape her, she screamed and Kamau told her it’s only a play. She ran out crying into the thickets it brought recurring memories of her step Dad attempted rape years earlier. Luckily Njoroge arrived and asked her “my child why are you crying” when he saw her.

When Leah narrated her near rape ordeal, Njoroge her “Dad” had a physical confrontation with Kamau and stabbed him. Kamau screamed at Njorge “why do you want to kill me over a child You don’t know. “ Njoroge who led the gang threw his belongings out of the cave and expelled Kamau. “I think bhang made them very angry, Kamau left bleeding,” said Leah. The turn of events stressed Leah and at night she seldom slept due to fear. She left the cave and ran off to Mahiga market at evening as she stood there, stranded a lady saw and approached her.

Leah lied to her she was waiting for a Mama Wanja who had promised her a job. All ladies with that name were called and she said it was neither of them. The lady, decided to take her to be a house girl for her daughter. She was around 12 years and the lady who employed her, treated her well. After two days she went looking for Njoroge in the cave and found him washing his face in the morning. Shocked, he asked where she had been, Leah told him she got a job and was well treated. She took him to a neighborhood where she was employed. Satisfied Njoroge allowed her to stay there.

Njoroge - Gangster and Father Figure

One thing about Njoroge “Dad” that left an indelible mark in Leah’s life to date was despite Njoroge being a thug he counseled her on never to steal and to be obedient. “That man was my dad and mom,” recalls Leah. Every evening he came to check on her or at times in the morning. He would whistle and she would come out to avoid being discovered by her employer. She nevertheless discovered and but thought it was Leah’s boyfriend. Around that time Leah learned from a lady friend that in Nairobi there were better job opportunities.

Coming to Nairobi

She came to Nairobi alone and ended up in Kawangware. As she wandered about a lady who knew her from Londiani recognized her. She led Leah to her uncle’s place living in Kawangware. She worked there without pay but later got a house girl’s job at friend of her uncle’s. The lady of the house paid her Sh1200. She was overworked sleeping at 1am and waking up at 4am. She also at times never ate breakfast or lunch and supper was in rations. One day during street skirmishes in Kawangware she took a different route and ended up in her uncle’s home. She narrated to him all she went through.

Her livid uncle told her to stay but she insisted to go back for her belongings at her employer’s home. Going back to pick her stuff the lady threw Leah out. Afterwards, she had a change of heart on realizing the diligence Leah had when she worked did for her. She cried and begged her uncle to allow her but to no avail. While Leah still worked there, from her savings she would buy curtains, mitumba clothes and resell them. God blessed her with another house girl job that paid her Sh2000.

Early Business Beginnings

Not long, the owner who was a widower got so impressed with her work caring for her kids and great housekeeping and gave her a raise of Sh500. Since she had lots of free time, she noticed that across the street where she lived was a club owned by one of her employer’s brothers. Her employer allowed her to open a sausage stand next to it which she ran in her free time. The stand flourished that she opened another one and employed an attendant. Then she was 17 years and quit her house girl job.

Business Flourishing and God’s Favor

Her budding business of selling mitumba and curtains flourished that she rented a one bed roomed apartment for Sh5000 and later one for Sh9000. She then moved her business to Kahawa West. In 2007 she released her first album ‘Tigai gutua thakame ya Jesu Mai’ She got connected to the music industry through Murimi wa Kahalf of Momo fame who her customer. Later she met Trizah Wambui who was back up vocalist for ND Githuka’s Kahii CD and also backed her. She released her second album in which didn’t do well and a follow up Swahili album titled Unaweza in 2009.

Release of Uranyarara Niki Album

Album Launch @St Andrews

However Uranyarara Niki her 4^th album, brought her to fore of Kikuyu Gospel Music receiving much airplay in Coro, Inooro and Kameme FM. It was launched in April 14 2013, at St Andrews University way an event which Jeremy Damaris was MC. The song’s inspiration came after she got a lift in a vehicle owned by a friend who wasn’t willing to give it to her. By the time she got home she had the whole song worked out. She didn’t think much of the song even when she presented it late to Dede Records producer as album filler. When the producer heard it, he told her that is the main song. Her preference and one she thought would have impact on release was titled thimu ya Ngai (God’s Phone line).

Album Airplay and Impact

When she took the song to Kameme FM PM Squared opted to play Uranyarara Niki though Leah wasn’t convinced the song was a gem. Wanjiru wa Mbugua (Dere Supa) from Coro FM also preferred the song as well as Man Simo of Inooro FM. The song ended up becoming a monster hit and the album has so far sold 25,000 copies. “I thank God for uplifting me yet there are so many musicians’ songs never get airplay not because they are not good,” Leah told Kikuyu Musicians.

Reconciliation with Mom

Looking back at her life so far, Leah glorifies God for covering her in all she went through. Though her mom rejected her she has never hated or had grudges at her. By time of her passing in 2011 they were best of friends. “Though she tortured me, she made me get to where I am today,” says Leah. Her mom got born again and was her intercessor until her death. Though her mom asked her for forgiveness later Leah never bore in grudges against her. “She would pray and fast for me for days,” remember Leah. “I think God took her because I had turned her into a god and stopped prayed,” she adds. For her even if she is offended she forgets and moves on quickly. “I think it’s a weakness,” Leah says laughing.

Sharing Story at Kameme FM

When she shared her story on Kameme FM with presenter Rachel Wa Kuria the morning of launching ‘Uranyarara Niki’ album several suicides were averted. After the show 10 people called to tell her they were on verge of suicide but stopped and to date they still call. One case that struck her was of a lady who had already mixed up poison but opted to take it after listening to her story. She didn’t kill herself and ended up born again. Children were also reconciled with estranged parents. When she shared her story at Kameme FM she was surprised by the reception since to her, her life was ordinary. “There are people who have gone through worse, than me,” said Leah.

Life’s Lesson

From her life’s lesson she pleads with people to know for every trials and difficult times, there is a reason and God may have them there to usher one to destiny. Also living with Njoroge the gangster made Leah realize, God doesn’t have to use a Christian to help You. God uses worst of characters to be a blessing to a person like HE used Njoroge. “God also likes humility and out of that he will give You a testimony,” said Leah.

On Njoroge her Gangster “Father”

Looking back at the one year she spent in the cave under his care, Leah reckons God must have put an angel in the soul of Njoroge. This considering that Njoroge cared for her like a father to a daughter when he wasn’t obligated to, if anything Leah thinks, Njoroge could have done the worst to her if he wished, but didn’t. Looking back to her young life it’s now she notes the many risks she was under. She used to pray and that to her that was ordinary life even sleeping in public bathrooms.

Counselor

Her unfilled wish is to meet Njoroge and thank him. She has gone back severally to trace him in Nyeri to no avail. Since they parted when she came to Nairobi, Leah has never seen Njoroge again. “If I was to see him he would be my dad and best friend,” Leah says. Today she is a counselor to schools, couples and churches. She is also a building contractor who has helped musicians like Wakabura Joseph, Solomon Nganga and Loise Kim in their real estate building ventures.

Supporting Kikuyu Gospel

To support Kikuyu Gospel Leah has paid studio time for budding gifted gospel musicians who lack money to produce without ever asking for a refund. She however laments that gospel music today has become commercialized and more entertainment. According to her, when albums are being sold they need to be accompanied by preaching. “If one soul is saved there is more blessing,” said Leah.

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