ORIE ROGO MANDULI: THE ENCHANTING BLACK SWAN

THE ENCHANTING BLACK SWAN

There is not a Kenyan, dead or alive, known to possess the exuberant qualities of being a duly queen, like our one and only rare jewel of glitz and glamour, the late Mary Orie Rogo Manduli. Kenya would not be considered as great, without the presence of this past prima donna, whose entire existence was full of beauty, colour, pizzazz, music, a ray of fashion and of course a slew of diva moments, making her both an inspiration and a qualifier on this special portion of black history month.

The late Orie Rogo Manduli was one in million rare kind of breed, who was unstoppable when it came to being the ultimate black swan. At sixteen, she was crowned Miss Kenya, while competing in a beauty pageant. She was equally the first Kenyan woman participant in the East African Safari Rally, in the year 1974. Additionally, Orie was the first woman to head the National Council of NGO’s in Kenya, a position she held before her timely passing. In her youthful days, Orie worked with the Kenya Railways, the Coffee Board of Kenya, and was a once upon a time host on the Mambo Leo show, which was transmitted by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.

We can concur that the late Orie was high maintenance, and extremely arduous to keep up with. She was a woman of a high standard, so very bold and unapologetic of her expensive ways, that even I was perplexed at her epic lifestyle. Yet, Orie was not complex at all. Infact, she was simple to read and easy to get along with, if you understood her from the notion of self love, backed up with a high self esteem. You see, the late Orie was overly confident in who she was, and thus did not need anyone to determine her worth. Furthermore, how she felt on the inside, reflected much on how she moved the outside, for she projected much strength, power, grace, and beauty, a testament to how she felt about herself.

What’s more, that popular catch phrase the late Orie loved to quote over our heads that, if you have it, then flaunt it but if you do not have it, humbly camouflage it, was a philosophy she lived by, and encouraged many to also embrace in their lives. Moreover, her colourful words were overt, sunny, expressive, and non-judgmental. Orie was not the kind to tear people down with her words but preferred to build them up, mostly by uplifting them to enjoy their lives to the fullest. Despite of how tough life must have been for her in the past, Orie never dwelt on her pain or sorrow. Rather, she chose to focus on the sunny side of her and not the rainy side.

I believe that Orie lived in her own bubble and was content in it. There were not many people around her bubble but those that came close can attest to the fact that she was a high vibrational human being, not much bothered by the mundane, and exceedingly musical. Her love for rhumba music was eminent, for she sang and danced when she got the chance to unwind. I think most Africans are into rhumba music, even though we do not know half of the lyrics, as long as mood is right and the tune is captivating. Besides, these Congolese musicians must be wizards on the low, because of how intensely we are addicted to their music. But I swiftly  digress.

An Orie Rogo Manduli story is not complete without the discourse of her taste in fashion. Orie was a true pan-Africanist, channeling her love for Africa into her sense of haute couture. To Orie Rogo Manduli, her image was everything, in that she would never step out of her residence, unless she was in full glam of flawless hair and make up, an African print Kitenge dress, with a matching bag and shoes, while topping it up with her signature gele head gear, which always made her look absolutely stunning.

If I was to sum up the life of Orie Rogo Manduli in one word, I would say splendid or captivating or even superb, as this was one soul that was determined to yolo her life, without fear or regret. Perhaps it was in her nature to live vicariously through life or better yet, she was intentional about the kind of life she wanted to live. All in all, Orie Rogo Manduli lived by example that we should all emulate, for life is too short to be pressured upon by the cares of this world. Therefore, here is a message to you all, live and let live!

Here is to you Mary Orie Rogo Manduli; an African goddess you were, so very enchanting and full of life. May the angels sing and dance alongside you, as you captivate them with you ever presence in the afterlife. Rest in Power!