By Cliford Ogola
She was sixteen…
Still wearing innocence like a school badge.
A smile too shy to shine,
a dream too young to die.
But one night…
someone stole her “no,”
turned it into silence,
and her tears became secrets her pillow could no longer keep.
She cried…
but her cry was covered.
Parents said, “shhh… watu watasema.”
And justice… became a rumour.
Days turned to months,
and her tummy began to talk.
She named the tiny heartbeat inside her — Faith.
Because Faith was the only thing still breathing in her.
But life…
life is a storm with no schedule.
Six months later — pain knocked early.
A baby born too soon, too small…
too silent.
She screamed, “God! Why did you take Faith away?”
Now she wasn’t just a girl… she was a grave.
She buried her child and her belief in the same hole.
And now, she says,
“All I had was Faith… now even Faith is gone.”
But listen —
Her story is our story.
Kenya is that girl.
We are the ones who lost Faith.
We used to believe in ballots,
now we barter our beliefs for bribes.
We used to sing, “One love, one people,”
now we shout, “My tribe, my steeple.”
We killed Faith slowly
with corruption, confusion, collusion, conclusion.
We buried Faith deeply
under files, forms, fake promises, and false prophets.
Faith faded fast from faces of fairness,
fell, forgotten,
flung in files of false forgiveness.
Faith fled from fellowship,
fell flat in filthy philosophies.
Faith found fools feeding fat on fragile freedoms.
We fake facts,
frame frauds,
fuel fights,
feed fear,
and finally forget Faith!
Now the girl — no — now the nation cries:
“God, bring back Faith!”
Bring back Faith
in schools where pupils pray for peace, not pens.
Bring back Faith
in hospitals where mothers die waiting for hope.
Bring back Faith
in leaders who lead, not loot.
Bring back Faith
in love that doesn’t end in blood.
Because Faith is not just a name —
Faith is what keeps us from falling.
Faith is the child this country buried —
but can still raise.
So today,
I whisper like that girl once did:
“Don’t worry, Faith,
one day you’ll grow wings,
and we’ll fly.”
Till then —
I’ll speak, I’ll stand, I’ll shout it loud…
Bring back Faith!
Bring back Faith!
Bring. Back. Faith
