Early in the morning of November 14, 2017, my old-time friend George Kirigi of KEMRI informed me that our mutual friend Ben Kamau had gone to be with the Lord the previous day. Kamau, who was brought up at Kivumbini Estate Number 4 (Baharini Estate) in Nakuru, was brother to my very close friend John Wairegi and father to Mercy Wairegi, a popular contemporary gospel-songstress of the Nuru album fame comprising "Ayala" and "Nakutamani" hits.

Kamau was born in 1956 in Nakuru to Mr and Mrs Mwangi. His parents were known by early indigenous Nakuru residents - including my own parents - to be a very hard-working, polite, pious, and resolute couple from the onset of their working life.

They had all along run an empty-containers and gunny bags business at the former main bus-station of Nakuru's CBD. Kamau was a devout Christian at the African Independent Church (AIC) Bondeni and Section 58, a guitarist, and had before his demise produced a few gospel CDs in conjunction with his nucleus family members that were yet to hit the national market.

In tandem with his gospel-music purview, Kamau was a civil servant with the Ministry of Culture and Social Services before later being employed by Farming Systems of Kenya in Nakuru as a field consultant. Besides being my big brother (as it were), he was a Baharini Primary School-mate of my elder brother Amos Nyoro. After primary school education, he attended Menengai High School during headmaster D.D. Obare's tenure.

After all is said and done, Kamau was indeed a good friend to both Christian and secular folks, needless to say that he was highly respected by the entire AIC fraternity as it was evident during his burial at Nakuru South Cemetery on November 20, 2017.

Immediately after Besnon Kamau's sudden demise, AIC community took charge of every undertaking on behalf of his family in order to give him a decent send-off. My heart and prayers go out to his family and relatives. May our good Lord continue resting his soul in Eternal Peace.

Tribute by John Githanga.