Kakamega
By Collins Matubwi
Bernard Mushila, 29, an Administration Police (AP) officer who hails from Lirhanda village, Muranda location in Shinyalu constituency when growing up, he wanted to be a Pastor, the reason he was saved after joining Form 1.
Mushila who was nicknamed by his classmates as Digit One, joined the Christian Union (CU) and little did he know that its here, he was going to get the love of his life and mother to his two children.
Digit One met his wife, Prudence Khasokha, 27, during a weekend challenge at Solio Secondary School in 2011. He was in Form Two and his wife was in Form Three. He had already made a name for himself given that while in Form Two Student at Lirhanda Secondary School, he had already made a name for himself after releasing his first gospel album – I surrender with six songs.
Digit One said being a naïve God fearing student, it was his wife, Prudence who made the first move by first taking his number after he had performed one of his songs He was a brand name and the two say, it was love at first sight.
The police officer is now juggling between maintaining law and order while at the same time advancing in his music career. His colleagues at Gari Hills Police Post refer to him as ‘Pastor’.
While growing up, he said that he used to write poems and wanted to publish a book but one day after reciting to a poem he had authored to his classmates, they told him that he had a talent in singing and that he should pursue it.
He said his teachers and students fundraised for him to record his first album.
The AP officer told County Splash News that part of the proceeds from his first album enabled him to pay for his school fees in form two and form three and that he released three more single hits while in Form Three but took a break when in Form Four to concentrate on his studies.
After the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), he released another single hit ‘Najua utatenda’ which now officially introduced him to the industry as he was now able to do live performances in leading churches in Western region and was able to eke a living out of it.
After the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), he released another single hit ‘Najua utatenda’ which now officially introduced him to the industry as he was now able to do live performances in leading churches in Western region and was able to eke a living out of it.
He was forced to take a sabbatical break from his career 2 years when he joined the National Youth Service (NYS) in early 2016 and later, the Administration Police training School in Embakasi. However, during his free time, he penned down over 40 songs.
“After pass out in 2018, I came back home and it’s when I met my mentor, Gospel Artiste Everlyn Wanjiru and the husband, Peter Agunda Bweni. They helped me to record five songs (audio) at Bwenieve studios free of charge. I was posted to Mandera County but after three months, I came back recorded two music videos,namely Salama and Nitengeneze,” said Mushila.
During the last December holidays, the police officer says that he was at his peak in his music career as he was able to perform with the likes of Daddy Owen, Guardian Angel, Everlyne Wanjiru, Andrew Kituyi and Ali Mukhwana on the same stage in Kakamega, Bungoma and Eldoret.
He says he is looking forward to do a collabo with Benachi, Guardian Angel and Everlyn Wanjiru.
“Many people have the perception that police officers are bad people but this is untrue. We are good people the only problem some of us have funny characters but I will preach to them to change their bad behaviour,” he added.
“Being a Catholic is sometimes difficult to get performances in the church due to their strict doctrine. When am in Mandera, I always take a break to concentrate on my work in maintaining law and order as there is no studio or radio stations that can play my music. That’s another world on its own,” said Mushila.
“Many people have the perception that police officers are bad people but this is untrue. We are good people the only problem some of us have funny characters but I will preach to them to change their bad behaviour,” he added.
His wife Prudence says Mushila is a hardworking and God-fearing husband saying when he is away at work, she prays to God to protect given that Mandera is prone to attacks from Al-Shabaab and organised gangs.
Inspector James Chweya in charge of Gari Hills Police Post said Mushila always prays for them daily before embarking on their daily duties.
“Mushila was just supposed to be on the pulpit preaching and singing to God to save the humankind. He gives the reason to continue soldering on despite this area (Mandera) being volatile. On Sundays, we always assembly at the police canteen to listen to his preachings and sings while holding a phone or a torch as a microphone,” said Inspector Chweya.
He added: “My four year kid was very sick and my wife told me his condition had deteriorated. He had acute malaria. Mushila to mu office around 8.30pm and prayed for me.He told me God will answer my prayers after 30 minutes. When he finished prayers, my wife called me and I thought he had died, but upon receiving the phone, she told me the child was talking,”
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