A Tribute to Kenneth Kudoma 28/02/1978 - 02/05/2014

Death is a certainty, but as we go through the walk of life, we never anticipate having to deal with the passing of a loved one. I was just checking my facebook timeline on May 5 when I saw an update from a common friend that Kenny had died. What a shocking way to discover the death of a friend of 15 years. Another person commented on the post and mentioned having read the story in a certain publication, that was when I checked online and found this horrific story of Kenneth's exit from this world. The undignified way in which he died worsened my pain, it was not befitting of someone with such a beautiful soul.

I don't actually remember how I met him, but it was during my first year at the University of Zimbabwe in 1999. From then on, we got along like a house on fire. I will remember Kenny as someone who laughed a lot, even when it wasn't necessary to do so. There was a time when I had a terrible toothache and my other friend, Christina decided to make me feel better by giving me a piece of cake. He came to see me and I complained about Christina's weird choice of comfort food under the circumstances.

He started laughing and told me about how he also once developed a toothache while watching a soccer match in Bulawayo. His friend had bought him a Cascade (a Zimbabwean sweet dairy fruit drink), which he drank and worsened the toothache. "This cake will make you cry, let me help you deal with it," he said as he ate the piece of cake. 
One day I caught him on a bad day when his studies weren't going too well. He said, "Charlotte, I've heard people say they got such and such a degree from whatever university. Madegree haangotorwi, anoshandirwa (you don't just get degrees, you work for them), and he burst out laughing.

The late Kenneth Kudoma

Kenny was always full of positive energy.  I have lots of beautiful memories of the moments I spent with him, just chatting about nothing very important. I always knew about the new good and crazy songs receiving the most airplay through Kenny. I remember him interpreting Charles Charamba's Nyika, singing R and K sounds' Tina and performing a duet for me with my friend Senelisiwe singing Arthur's Mnike. 

Whenever I needed to buy groceries at Groombridge and Bond shops, he would always agree to walk with me, even if he was busy. I was proud to be seen with him as he was always neat. He connected me with several other people, most of whom are still my friends to date.
After university, we would speak on the phone, but thank God for facebook, we found a cheaper and more convenient way to chat. Our correspondence was usually months apart. He was one of those friends who I didn't speak to everyday but knew he would come through for me if I needed someone to talk to. He would always tell me to be grateful for my family and tell the ones I loved that I loved them. 

As we grew older our conversations also evolved from talking about music and light stuff to discussing serious things. In 2010 I was gravely concerned about him as he seemed to have hit a very low point. He later told me that he had been having issues with alcohol but was now doing OK. Sometime last year he sent me his last msg, which I never responded to as I kept procrastinating. I don't feel bad about it as our friendship was characterised by long breaks of no communication. 

Just like others that loved him, I have questions about how he met his demise. What did he do to provoke the "the group of gays" to have made him feel his life was so severely threatened that he sped so much and met his death? What was he thinking a few minutes before he crashed?

The late Kenneth Kudoma

My heart goes out to his lovely wife and young son, his sisters and other friends he had. It's not good to have a loved one die so young and senselessly. Whatever squabble he had with those people could have been resolved in another way, surely? I wish he hadn't spoken to those people, if he indeed fought with anyone. So far I haven't seen any solid proof of the existence of the people he fought with. I wish he had been at home with his wife. I wish Kenneth hadn't died. But he did. And it's hard to accept that he is not alive anymore, that we have to refer to him in the past tense. And he will be sorely missed. He was the type of person whose absence will be felt because of the energy he exuded. I hope he had remembered to follow his own advice and told those he loved that he loved them, just so that they have something good to hold on to. May Kenneth "'KK' Kudoma's soul rest in eternal peace. I feel extremely sad right now, but I hope someday I will think of him with a smile on my faces, not with tears welling in my eyes at the thought of his gruesome death.  
Since he loved music so much, I will dedicate this song to his memory.