Mzungu Pilot plays Harambee Harambee to complete his bucket list while landing a plane in Kijabe: Bill Teasdale, the pilot is the grand son of Ted Teasdale who together with Robert Davis and pastor Timothy Kamau started bible husema studios in Kijabe.
His grandfather, great grand-father Charles Teasdale was the first Bible College Teacher in Kenya. His first student was pastor Johanna Nyenjeri and ten others who started evangelism within the Kikuyu community in the 1920s.
A missionary by the name of Bob Davis, a Christian Broadcaster from United States was hired by Africa Inland mission to start Christian Broadcasting in Kenya.
He arrived in Kenya in 1953 together with his engineer, Ted Teasdale. Together these two begun to record programs in Bob’s house, for ABS later to be known as VOK.
In 1959 the two decided to hire a Kenyan pastor who became the Kenyan pioneer in Africa Gospel Music. Pastor Timothy Kamau’ program Wimbo Niupendao was rated number one program for decades. Its only rival was the KBC newscast.
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta used to stop his schedule on Sunday at 3.PM to listen to Wimbo Niupendao. According to Uhuru Kenyatta, “When we were children, at 3pm every Sunday, my father demanded absolute silence. We were not allowed a whisper.” He said in Kijabe during Pastor Kamau’s funeral in 2009.
Teddy Njoroge Kamau (PhD)
HTBluff Associates
Diaspora messenger Senior Columnist
i remember charles tesdale who spoke kikuyu and even preached in kikuyu