The Late Reverend Simeon Karechū Kirira   (1890-1984)

Simeon was born a Mūnjirū wa Mbarí ya Hwaī(Anjirū Clan) in Kanyama in 1890, about 5 kilometers from Tūmūtūmū Mission in the Nyeri Area. His father died while he was barely 3 years old. In the year 1909, at the age of 19 years, Karechū joined the Church of Scotland Mission at Tūmūtūmū. His main motivation was to escape the forceful Colonialists of the British Government who took men and young lads to Nyeri to work in the farms. Shortly after staying at Mambere ma Ihīī( Boys Dormitories) at Tūmūtūmū, he resolved to travel to Nairobi to seek some employment. He went in the same year.

In 1910 however, Karechū returned to Mambere, Tūmūtūmū, and was received by Arthur Ruffell Barlow (Bwana Barū), a pioneer Scottish Missionary in Tūmūtūmū, and began his formal education.

On January 26th, 1913, Karechū was admitted to the Catechism class and was baptized on Christmas the same year.

It was on 16th June 1914 when Simeon Karechū enrolled to train as a teacher. He trained for 3 years, and became a teacher. After practicing for a few years, he received a call to serve as a Minister of the Gospel. During that time, the training of Ministers of the Word, Sacraments and Order took over 12 years. During his training for the Ministry he displayed the qualities of a person called by God, sincerely saved, bearing fruits that are worthy of God’s servants.

Simeon Karechū served as an Evangelist in Mūkūrwe-inī within Nyeri Countryside. It was in 1919, at the age of 29 years, when he married Elizabeth Gathii. Elizabeth was a sister to Reverend Solomon Ndambī Kagema who was ordained the same day as Simeon, 7 years later. Elizabeth was among the initial girls students of the Scottish Missionary Marion Scott Stevenson (Nyamachaki) at the Icai (Girls’ Dormitory) in Tūmūtūmū.

Elizabeth was tender-hearted and greatly supported her husband Simeon in his service to the Church. She counseled young girls on the essence of education, and attracted many of them. She fervently prayed for her husband, and loved to hold devotions with him. God blessed them with one child.

Karechū was ordained on March 14th, 1926 at the Tūmūtūmū Church of Scotland Mission. He was ordained alongside Solomon Ndambī Kagema (brother in law), Jeremiah Waita Kihori, Joshua Riūnga Kagondu and Paulo Kahuho Gacomba.

After ordination, Simeon was sent to Mīhūtī Outstation in Mūkūrwe-inī of Nyeri District. He remained there from 1926 to 1933. He went back to Tūmūtūmū for a period of one year. He was later sent to Subukia and served until 1938 under very difficult circumstances.

While at Subukia, he managed to buy some piece of land that offered great support. It was the same estate that enabled him to purchase the land on which his family settled.

From 1939 to 1942 he served in Rware (Nyeri). It was during this time that he served in Nyeri that he Ministered to the Wandūmbi Christian Community. He transferred to Kīamwangi, Mathīra.

In 1944, while in Kīamwangi, Karechū’s wife, Elizabeth, fell ill and died, and was buried in Nairobi.

The death of Elizabeth was very devastating to Simeon. He was bruised for a long time. Later on, God blessed him with another wife. He married Charity Wambūi wa Ngure from Gakīndū in Mūkūrwe-inī. Their wedding was held in January of 1946.

Charity was a devout Christian and greatly supported Simeon in his Ministry as well. Between them are four children. She understood her role in Church service as primarily setting an example of a faithful Christian woman beyond other church duties.

During that time, Simeon lived with his family in his farm in Kīarewa within Rūgūrū Location in Mathīra, Nyeri.

Among Karechū’s teaching was that Ngai, the God to whom the Agíkûyū people prayed, was not different from the God revealed in the Old Testament. As such, the word of God is not foreign to the Agīkūyū, and therefore, explaining the message of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is not such a difficult task.

When Simeon Karechū observed the Presbyterian Church, he noted that it has markedly grown in the visible dimensions. He was however saddened by poor spiritual growth which he attributed to many people departing from the way of truth.

Concerning Ministers of the Gospel, Karechū taught this cardinal issues:

  1. A Church Minister ought to realize that they are called to serve God.
  2. Every Minister must stand for truth and justice. That way, the Kingdom of God would expand to the nations. God’s people must always speak the truth.
  3. If the truth is well embraced by the people, then what follows is seeking fellowship one with the other.
  4. It is God who calls people to serve him. If that be the case, there cannot be disharmony between the older and younger Ministers. Again, in the Kingdom of God there is no stratification in regards to age.

Karechū also taught that people should be content with whatever they have. “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown Jehovah.”

The late Reverend Karechū fell in April of 1984. He was treated in Kenyatta National Hospital and later transferred to Tūmūtūmū Mission Hospital in June. He rested in death on 2nd July, 1984 at the age of 94 years.

He was buried on July 10th, 1984 in Tūmūtūmū Parish, with Very. Rev. John G. Gatū preaching under the Tūmūtūmū Presbytery leadership.

(Adapted and Translated from Karechū’s eulogy)