FROM KENYA TO TYLER, ONE MAN CONTINUES TO SERVE INTERNATIONALLY

Featured Photo: Benson Kasue works to represent the countries of East Africa exemplified by the flags on his desk.

During Black History month many honor the legacy and the fortitude of those who have gone before—those in the African American community who are pioneers, paving the way for better days ahead. One of those individuals is Benson Kasue.

Benson lives in Tyler and works as an accountant for his own firm. He and his wife, Rochelle, have two sons and live a seemingly straightforward life. However, Benson has a legacy and a path that would pique the interest of any casual acquaintance.

Benson grew up in a remote village in Kenya, Africa. He was one of nine siblings from Kilungu, about 60 miles from Nairobi. In Kenya, students are taught about various religions as a free religion country. Benson is a man of curiosity and was interested about the ways of God when he took a job as a young man working in the city.

“I met a man named Dennis Childs from Colorado who was in Kenya working with the Rockerfeller Foundation to help research and integrate wild animals,” Benson says. “They were put in very desolate areas in my region, and I worked for them and finished high school. He taught me the power of prayer, and his family taught me in his home.”

Dennis and Benson had a number of conversations about religion; Dennis as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Benson was interested in Dennis’ religion, but the Church did not exist in Kenya. It would take years before the government would grant recognition, so they had to meet in small private groups.

“I brought my friends, and we would meet in Nairobi,” Benson says. “Some would travel nearly two hours to learn, and the group started getting bigger and bigger. They were interested in the Church but could not be baptized.”

According to the Church, Because it was not yet registered with the government, special permission was required from government authorities before people could be baptized. In 1985, officials gave approval for private worship and baptisms in homes. Benson was now twenty-three years old, and his brother Nickson was twenty.

After attending meetings and studying the gospel for almost five years, the Kasue brothers were finally baptized in 1985, two of the very first in Kenya which now has more than 14,500 members.

Just four months later, the Kasues were the first Kenyans to go on full-time missions for their Church, leaving their home country. Sacrificing two years and personal comforts, Benson served in the California Los Angeles Mission and Nickson served in the Washington D.C. North Mission.

Since that pivotal time, Benson’s life has taken him all over the United States, but he continues to visit Kenya yearly. He is a well-educated Kenyan with deep ties to his religion and his homeland.

“It’s very humbling to go back to Kenya,” Benson says “It just a hard feeling to express. There’s nothing you can say to express it best. The feelings are very strong about the love that God has for all of us. I can’t explain it. Every time I go there I shed tears.”

Benson’s love for his people and his country influence his decisions today. After his mission for his Church, he went to college in Idaho and Utah where he met his wife, who is from Louisiana. He worked at high profile jobs throughout the United States, including Dell and IBM. He now lives in Tyler, Texas and runs Big D Finance.

Aside from his career, he puts a great deal of energy into improving East Africa. He is a founder at East Africa Chamber of Commerce aiding with infrastructure and energy, financial services, and government relations.

“I lead several groups in the larger cities, and I spend time marketing the region,” Benson says. “When we have our time to serve it changes our hearts and minds.”

Another of these groups is the East Africa Chamber of Commerce in Dallas where he is a key advocate for Kenyans. He also assists with The African Diaspora Development Institute to help displaced Africans invest back into real estate in their homeland.

“We want to give an opportunity for Black Americans to come back to the mother land if they want to,” Benson says. “To come back and see if they like it.”

Many of Benson’s family is still in Kenya, continuing to serve in the community and the Church. What started as the curiosity about religion took Benson all over the world, gaining skills and access to people to make a difference for so many.

Benson says of his church, “You feel like it’s a family. Sure, we can all do a better job in connecting with the people that can help Africans move forward but my experience has been positive, and we are here to help.”  

Photos courtesy of Benson Kasue.