How would you describe Janet? How can you talk about an amazing shining meteoric personality. Janet was always very much her own person, with her own unique way of seeing and doing things. She was born 4 years behind us and was very much the darling of our parents. In her early years, she used to love playing so much and would be chasing us to play hide and seek and catch, when we were trying to get our homework done.
She loved dolls and had one favorite one called Betty. She also loved cats, much to our parents chagrin, as they thought that these pets were the cause of her frequent sore throats and skin infections. This was way before Horatio, the long haired dog sitting at home! Janet was the darling of everyone who met her, particularly her grandmother, Grannie,met her, particularly her grandmother, Grannie, Mary Kanini Kitwa, whom she was named after.
Whereas we two elder siblings were more into the sciences, it was in the arts where Kanini or Kan, as we called her, really excelled. She loved to dance to music from Top of the Pops and wanted to have piano and guitar classes. She was a dreamer from early on, with questions about why things were the way they were and why they couldn’t be changed. She looked up to us and to her older cousins and close friends for guidance and was always asking us questions. She had a fearless spirit, shown
by the fact that she was the quickest to learn how to ride a bike and how to swim! Janet absolutely loved her time in campus.
She found her studies easy, and immensely enjoyed the freedom offered there. She had lots of creative outlets for her energy, some in theatre and arts and several social ones too! Janet found a new social engagement there. Our parents missed her and would complain that she wasn’t coming home as frequently as they wanted. However, Janet would endeavor to be home at least twice a month, even if only to do laundry and stock up on chapati. Janet was deeply involved in planning Juliana’s wedding. She was a part of the lineup and brought amazing charm to the group. She was a doting aunt to Kirigo and Ndunge. George and Janet lovingly took care of their nieces when Juliana was studying in South Africa. When Naima made a family with Cecilia, Janet and George stood as alternate parents.
Janet took each stage of her life with amazing enthusiasm. Even when she thought that storm clouds were gathering she would find something bright to talk about. When our father fell ill, she was always in the house trying to make him laugh. She would entertain him with stories of her day’s activities and leave him with a smile on his face. In April 2015 we planned to have Easter together as a family. Janet woke up with some pain in her leg. She was however determined that the holiday should proceed as planned.
All the children were helped to bond using a ball game and some kites that we bought at Nyayo Stadium roundabout. She made sure everybody had a great time, even though she was in pain. She went to hospital after coming back, and the rest is as you know Janet was a sister we had a great relationship with.
We laughed and loved and quarreled and made up with gusto. We danced together to my mother’s old records, and laughed at my dad’s version of twist dance. We cried together and slept together after my father’s funeral. We shared secrets and we knew that they were absolutely safe since only us 3 musketeers know about them. She has now gone before us to sing and dance in heaven with dad. To you loving sister, we say we miss you and love you. We remember your faith and dedicate these words to you: “I know not why God’s wondrous grace to me hath been made known Nor why unworthy as I am He claimed me for his own But I know whom I have believed And am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed Unto Him against that day.