KAHUHA TAKES HER AUDIENCE ON A HILARIOUS SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

By Chris Mutuku (Posted October, 17 2022)

Last Saturday was remarkable as Esther Kahuha made a triumphant entry to the stage with the sensational 'Kuna dawa' gospel song by Esther Wahome. After a three months break, her audience were ready to receive their dose of packed stand up comedy based on a fictional character only known to herself. 

Having attended the man made woman stand up comedy show twice, I marvel that the show transformed from stand up comedy to hilarious life experiences of Esther’s fictional character. 

Her funs, friends and family gathered at the Kenya National Theatre’s Ukumbi mdogo after a busy week to laugh out the fatigue. Dressed in a mustard yellow pants, astonishing beautiful blouse and black sneakers, the glamorous lady began by teasing her audience and even calling some by names. Her joy couldn’t be hidden as she called out Roy, Margaretta and Steenie from the audience just to mention a few. It is clear that she has established a special relationship with her audience.

In what seemed like a teaser, she made a joke on how presumed non believers or those who backslid are easily ignored and sometimes despised. She remembers her previous church and her fellow church leaders where she served in the ushering department. With the status awarded to such individuals by the society, Esther and her church buddies did the opposite. She, Stella the church worship leader and Milka-prayer warrior would accompany Ted the church drummer to his side hustle at a local joint. The church leaders would sit, chat and sip their soda at their usual spot where Ted played soothing Rhumba to their holy ears.

Esther quick to her action, she would notice the boredom in the group and the monotonous tune coming from the loud speakers. It must be the soda! She thought. May be a can of red bull would lighten her mood, She concluded. Just like a kid sneaking muddy feet to steal sugar at the kitchen. She would hide at a corner and sip her red bull with conscious of not being caught. 

This went on for a while and she saw the need to upgrade. “ I need something stronger.” She said. That’s when she started taking alcohol after realising her previous can was not working the magic. 

One Sunday evening, true to her disbelief, she heard Stella ask the waiter for two bottles of cold Guinness. This shocked her for this was the church worship team leader. Then Milka was sipping her Tusker with zero pressure. 

The mood changes to a tense mood as Kahuha introduces to the audience by then her spiritual leader, Bishop Gitonga as this gloomy man who wears glasses easily mistaken for Jeffrey Dahmer the serial killer. Bishop Gitonga calls the church leaders to the church wings just after the service ends. Usually the Bishop would call the four to tip them for a service well conducted.  It was not the case for them this time. It is discovered that the Bishop had received the news that the leaders had been going to “Disko” as Kahuha put it. With no further discussion, they were excommunicated from the church just as it had happened to other Christians who fell on the dark path of life.

Kahuha took her audience on yet another journey of moving from one church to another. One would easily sympathise with her in her quest to find belonging in the today churches. She recalls one time she was given a spare key to the pedestrian passage for her to be using whenever she came to the church since the church had not had a congregant like her since its construction. Everyone even the security guard at the gate owned a good vehicle. The pressure became to much or ‘became worser’ as the Tiktok millennium would put it.

After trying so many churches, she later realised that she was after churches but not God. This is after she overheard a phone conversation of one of her former pastors asking to bribe someone in favour for her daughters employment. You can call it spiritual awakening even for her audience who were surprised that one hour had elapsed so fast.

Her storytelling skills are so humorous one would hardly tell if they ever occurred to the so talented and happy lady. The next show happens this December.