Atsango Chesoni, deputy chair, Committee of Experts on Constitutional Review

By Susan Anyangu and Shad Bulimo

Like father like son used to be the popular saying. But that was those days when men ruled the roost without abandon. These days, we might as well put a spin on the age old proverb and call it 'like father like daughter' which perfectly befits the subject of this feature article. The deputy chair of the Committee of Experts on the Constitution Review process, Ms Atsango Chesoni is the daughter of the late Justice Zaccheaus Chesoni. Besides serving a distinguished career on the bench, Justice Chesoni rose to become Kenya's Chief Justice and died as the chairman of the Electoral Commission of Kenya on September 5 1999. The tough veins that flow through Atsango Chesoni reminds one of her father. She abandoned medicine for law to fight for justice; not for herself but for millions of Kenyans especially women whose daily lives are characterised by severe judicial deficit. A true Omumachina, she has come a long way from Chimoi in Kabras, Kakamega the land of her ancestors.

Trying to set up an interview with Atsango Chesoni as a piece of cake, despite her busy schedule as a member of the newly appointed Committee of Experts on the Constitution Review Process. With just one phone call, during which I promised to focus on the women’s movement and women’s involvement in the constitution review process, Atsango slotted me into her schedule. Within no time we were making plans to meet the next day at her apartment which doubles as her office.

When you walk into Atsango’s home, it is clear that she pays keen attention to detail and is not one to entertain clutter. A professing Panafricanist, Atsango ranks herself with the likes of the late Julius Nyerere, Kwame Nkurumah, Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong’o. And indeed Atsango’s home is a living testament of this.

The living room is sparsely furnished with tastefully chosen pieces of African artefacts. A look at the paintings that hang on the walls reveals a person who is in touch with and proud of her African roots. Her music collection on the other hand is clear proof of someone who appreciates poetry and the beauty of language. Her CD collection is largely African — musicians whose themes are not only timeless but also tell profound stories.

Atsango Chesoni. Her track record and involvement in the push for a new constitution has earned her a seat in the Committee of Experts. Photo: Maxwell Agwanda

"When I was returning to the country after studying abroad, I shocked immigration officials at the airport because of the number of books I brought with me. I had a number of huge trunks filled with books. I love reading and all I did while studying in the USA and UK was buy books," Atsango says.

While she is a lawyer by profession, Atsango is also a poet, who has written volumes of poems that she is yet to publish.

"I went to university as a Biology major, but later switched to being an English major who then later went to Law school. Everyone in my family has an aptitude for the sciences and indeed my late father who was a lawyer by profession was initially expected to study medicine at the university. Despite having an aptitude for the sciences I opted to study English and Law because the sciences became too boring," she says.

However, with more probing, Atsango reveals that she was propelled into Law School because of a tragedy that happened to someone close to her.

"I studied Law to find out why the rape of a girl meant less to my society than the theft of a cow. I have always been interested and concerned about rape. I started reading newspapers at an early age and I remember asking one of my uncles what ‘carnal knowledge’ was because that is what it used to be called. A two-year-old girl had been raped and another person had stolen a cow. The one who stole a cow got a stiffer penalty and I was puzzled about this," she recounts.

While this story would have a significant impact on Atsango’s life, the rape of someone close to her would seal the deal, converting this would-be scientist into a lawyer and later a champion of women’s rights.

"In my first summer I received a letter from home. Someone close to me had tried to kill herself because she had been raped. I began to deal with this by writing poetry. I lost interest in Biology...it stopped being exciting…the life went out. For me it was more about doing something about what had happened to the person who was raped," she says.

Atsango indulges in one of her life’s passions — reading for knowledge.

And so her journey to becoming a lawyer began and this gave birth to Atsango, she that champions women’s rights. As she makes an entry into the limelight on the Committee of Experts on Constitution Review and sits as its vice chair, she is no stranger to the clamour for a new constitution. Indeed, Atsango professes that her track record and involvement in the push for a new constitution is what has earned her a seat in the committee.

"For a long time now, women have been organising themselves around matters on the Constitution. I have been involved in it for over a decade of my life. Way back in 1997 I was involved in the drafting of demands women made during the National Constitution Conference," she says.

Atsango believes present practices in Kenya prevent women from enjoying full rights of ownership of land and other property.

Quoting Pricilla Abwao, the first nominated woman member of parliament in Kenya, Atsango says: "I consider this position inconsistent with the realities of life in the 20th Century and that anything less than the right to own property is reactionary and unbefitting. This is where our struggle resonates and it is at the heart of what we have been struggling for, for a long time". It is on this note that Atsango says she has premised her push for a new constitution.

She continues to state that the current constitution discriminates against women and thus they must push for a review if their lives are to become better. She, however, warns that one does not have to be a lawyer to be involved in the process.

"Women who have been involved in this cause have come from a place of passion. Wanjiku Kabira and Pheobe Asiyo are good examples. We need to understand there is a long history and we are standing on the shoulders of women who have worked long and hard to give us a new future. Especially, Abwao who was the only African woman at the Lancaster conference," she says.

Atsango cautions women not to leave all the work to the members of the committee of experts but rather to rally from the outside and push for involvement and fair representation in the constitution review process.

Atsango being sworn in as a member of the Committee of experts on the Constitution Review Process. Photos: Family Album/Courtesy

Atsango urges women to stay vigilant and use every opportunity, but she says the prerogative to ensure women’s rights are improved also lies with the men. She argues it is not in the interest of this country to have half of its workforce being oppressed. She says there are men who can be allies and even if they do not want to be, they have the moral responsibility because women vote for them and pay taxes.

As Kenyans focus on the reforms agenda and particularly review of the Constitution, Atsango states that the demands remain consistent — that what women want is to be included in decision-making and given at least a third of the positions.

Says she: "The figure of one third is not abstract, it is based on research and experiences of other countries where it has been used. The basic minimum needed to begin to make a difference is one third. The concept of affirmative action is based on research and past experiences. Affirmative action is not rooted in women’s rights issues but black movement. South Africa is a good example which has used affirmative action with regards to the blacks".

Atsango says the provision of a third of the positions reserved for women should be entrenched in law and accompanied by clear mechanisms of enforcing the same. She argues that Kenya has a legacy of violating this, thus the need to be succinct.

She also states that there is need to focus on the issue of citizenship, since it is one of the ways women are discriminated upon within the current constitution.

"We need a mechanism that is clear and that is not at the discretion of anyone. Women need to look out for this. How will that one third be achieved? This is not a one-woman battle. It requires women to stand together, acknowledge and offer each other sisterhood, acknowledge other women who have previously been involved in process and seek their advice based on their experiences. The biggest lesson is, to learn how to listen to each other and work together regardless of party affiliation, ethnic background and whether or not we like each other. If we stand together I think we can win. If want a new future for our women, mothers, daughters we need to stand together as a country and say this is not acceptable," she says.

Atsango maintains that unless Kenya has a new constitution peace will continue to be elusive. And she cautions that the current constitution is unfair to women and thus, if they must have a new dawn, a review is urgent.

Until she was called to serve her nation on the committee of experts, Atsango was working as a private consultant. She has done work for the United Nations in Southern Sudan monitoring the impact of conflict on women and children.

She describes herself as a human rights monitor, who documents human rights violations.

She also works as a policy and legal reform analyst. She advises on policy and law reforms, human rights and women’s human rights. She also does work in evaluating development initiatives. Her clientele is highly varied and impressive and includes the World Bank, multi-lateral agencies, African Union and Action Aid International.

Atsango is inspired by many people including, Abwao, Asiyo and Graca Machel. She says of them: "They are graceful, amazingly strong, powerful and yet humble".

Source: Standard

By Anver Versi
Masinde Muliro, politician, born Matili Kenya 30 June 1920, died Nairobi 14 August 1992.
AT THE highest level, Kenyan politics often resembles a game of poker played by some of the most astute minds in Africa. Over the last six months, a fascinating struggle for the leadership of Kenya's main opposition party, FORD (Forum for the Restoration of Democracy), has held the Kenyan masses in thrall. But as the rivalry for FORD's leadership and, by implication, the national presidency intensified, the sophisticated dealing gave way to a naked lust for power among the country's major opposition figures.
FORD, the only organisation that has a realistic chance of wresting control of the government from the ruling party, KANU (Kenya African National Union), was on the verge of disintegration when the veteran nationalist Masinde Muliro startled everyone by declaring his intention of entering the presidential race. The 70-year-old Muliro had emerged from political hibernation to become a founder member of the opposition FORD movement and had since played a low-key, supportive role, as vice-chairman of the organisation, to more flamboyant personalities like Oginga Odinga.

Going for the highest office: His quietly stated decision to go for the highest political office when the whole opposition movement appeared to be floundering was typical of the man. He was offering himself as a compromise candidate in order to maintain unity within the opposition ranks. His candidature had an immediate and sobering effect on the opposition front-runners, Odinga and Kenneth Matiba. It also galvanised a surge of public support for this professorial, highly idealistic politician who had never relinquished public respect since his entry into politics some 35 years ago. One month after his decision to run for President, Muliro died of heart failure while he was on his way back to Kenya after a brief visit to London.

South African calling: Masinde Muliro was born in 1922 at Matili in western Kenya. His farmer father was a Roman Catholic. He attended several mission schools run by the Catholics, including the intellectually stimulating St Peter's College in Tororo, Uganda. His early political and social ideas were formed when he was at the University of Cape Town from which he graduated in 1954 with a BA in History, Philosophy and Education. When he returned to Kenya, he lectured at the Siriba Training College but he was already laying the groundwork for a future in politics. He met the passionate and fiery Odinga and the two embarked on a course of radical politics that was to shape and define the African struggle for independence in Kenya.

Clash of principles: Muliro fought for and won a seat in the first ever direct African elections to the colonial legislative council in 1957. The scholarly, pipe-smoking former lecturer often found himself clashing with some of his less far-sighted colleagues on the council. He formed the Kenya National Party, a multiracial organisation that made radical demands on the colonial government. In 1960, the two largest ethnic groups in Kenya, the Luo and the Kikuyu, formed KANU (Kenya African Nationalist Union) as the political instrument that would take the country into independence. Muliro (who came from the third largest ethnic group, the Luhya), Ronald Ngala, from the coast, and Daniel arap Moi formed KADU (Kenya African Democratic Party) to represent the interests of the smaller ethnic groups.

Okhwa Makinia: Son of Makinia

No doubting his sincerity: Muliro had carved out a unique position for himself in the country's political landscape. While he was regarded as a non-conformist by the government, there was no doubting his sincerity or idealism. In parliament, the force of his logic during debates made him an outstanding champion of causes which might otherwise have been lost. In 1969, the government, under Jomo Kenyatta, made him a full minister in charge of Co-operatives and Social Services. His penchant for standing up for his principles, however, brought him into direct confrontation with the government.

Only KANU member to support Odinga: When the government tabled a motion to proscribe Odinga's Kenya People's Union (KPU) after some members of the party stoned Jomo Kenyatta during a political rally, Muliro was the only member of the ruling party to set his face against the motion. He said that while he found the incident abhorrent, banning the opposition party would make Kenya the laughing stock of Africa. Odinga's party was eventually banned and Kenya became a de facto one-party state.

Scions of second liberation: From right: Masinde Muliro, Jaramogi Odinga Oginga and Joseph Martin Shikuku.

MASINDE MULIRO BIOGRAPHY IS NOW AVAILABLE TO BUY ON THE INTERNET. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO OBTAIN A COPY.

Makers of Kenya's History: Masinde Muliro by Prof Simiyu Wandibba

In 1975, Muliro was the only minister to vote against the government over a report into the murder of a popular politician JM Kariuki. His vote swung the balance and the government lost the motion. For his pains, he was dismissed from his ministerial post by the imperious Kenyatta and was never to regain any position in government. He continued to speak out against some government policies from the back benches but preferred to do so from within the party. There were several attempts to unseat him but he successfully petitioned one election result through the courts and regained his place in parliament.

Hit at Moi and Kanu: From 1986 onwards, now under Daniel arap Moi's presidency, Muliro's criticism of the government and the ruling party increased. He accused the party of rigging elections and said that the cult of sycophancy being encouraged in parliament was turning it into a 'rubber stamp' for the executive. He engaged in spectacular public clashes with Shariff Nassir who controlled the port of Mombasa and was one of President Moi's most loyal supporters. Nassir called him 'anti-government' and accused him of being in the pay of 'foreign masters'. Muliro countered by saying that parliamentary democracy was being eroded by the likes of Nassir who did not want members to 'speak out their minds and freely express their opinions'. Although Muliro retained the support of the Luhya community and the respect of the nation, he had antagonised too many people by refusing to go along with the tide and he lost his parliamentary seat for the last time in a by-election in 1989.

Champion of second liberation: He appeared to have dropped off the political landscape after this but bounced right back nearly three years later to become a founder member of FORD. His initial role as vice-chairman of FORD was that of a bridge-builder between the strong personalities who represented the largest ethnic groupings in the country. His own declaration of intent only came when the opposition party began to fragment and only after strong public pressure had forced his hand. Masinde Muliro always took the lonely road of honesty and plain-speaking in public affairs and it was perhaps this dedication to democratic principles that denied him higher office in government.

The slain former Nyandarua MP, JM Kariuki. Muliro was the only minister to vote against the government in a motion indicting Kenyatta's regime for JM's murder.

The purpose of Muliro's brief visit to London was to persuade the Foreign Office to keep faith with FORD. He also met a delegation from the UK branch of FORD who expressed their dismay at the personality clashes within the opposition group and told them categorically that he was willing to relinquish his bid for the presidency if that would enhance party unity. The chairman of UK FORD, Joseph Gitari, who probably held the last formal discussion with Muliro, said that he, more than any other politician, had emphasized the defence of human rights above other political considerations. 'What he wanted above all,' said Gitari, 'was the restoration of true democracy and he told us quite emphatically that his, or anyone else's, personal ambitions mattered not the least in the interests of the national good.'
Source: The Independent, UK
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-masinde-muliro-1543185.html

A man for whom hope is everything

By Shad Bulimo, Oct 1 2009
Never give up. Never lose hope for Hope is everything. These words from
Professor Fanson Majani Kidwaro are a lifeline to millions of Kenyans who have lost hope in their country, leaders and themselves. They are only words of course, but words have the power to change an individual’s world in ways that guns or handouts cannot. Restoring hope in a people whose spirit is broken is a gigantic task. For Prof Kidwaro, it is a challenge that he embraces wholeheartedly. He is one of the few people who believe that his people of western Kenya will rise from valley of hopelessness, doom and despair; conquer their fears to claim their rightful place at the top table in Kenya. All they need is hope and a strong sense of self belief.

It is a belief that has propelled this unlikely hero from humble beginnings in the sleepy village of Chavavo in South Maragoli to claim a coveted seat in one of America’s top academic institutions. The sixth born in a family of five girls and four boys, Prof Kidwaro was only 13 when his father, Mark Kidwaro a former personnel manager with the ministry of education died in 1981.

Prof Kidwaro, whose hero is former South African President Nelson Mandela, attended Chavavo Primary and Mwihila Secondary schools before moving to the USA in 1983 to pursue further education. He Holds a BS Degree from Truman State University, an MS degree from University of Central Missouri, and a doctorate (PhD) from University of Missouri-Columbia.  He is currently the chairman of the Department of Agriculture at the University of Central Missouri where he has been teaching since 2001.  Dr. Kidwaro resides in Lees Summit, Missouri with his wife Florence and sons Andrew and Mark Kidwaro. His mother, Jedidah Jumba, is a local businesswoman in Vihiga but is currently living in Missouri with her son and his family.

Family members

Prof Kidwaro comes from a strong Christian family and his siblings include, in order of seniority: Michael Mmata, a vet in Maseno; Janet Kavetsa Zintambila of Illinois; Mary Majani, a nurse in South Carolina, Florence Mijinde of Eldoret, Beatrice Mwange of Chicago, Phoebe Aluda of Nairobi, late Phinimore Kidwaro and Joshua Kibisu  of  Nairobi.

Like his hero, Nelson Mandela, Prof Kidwaro is a strong believer in the philosophy of leadership by service. He believes individuals are successful only when measured against the community in which they live or come from. As a community leader in Kansas City where he served as president of Organization of Kenyans in Kansas City for two years, Prof Kidwaro had the distinguished honor of representing a strong Kansas City community in the 2003 meeting between President Mwai Kibaki and George Bush at the White House.

“We have hosted Kalonzo Musyoka, the vice president, Hon. William Ruto, the minister for agriculture and the late Kipkalya Kones, Raila Odinga, the prime minister and every year we organize Madaraka Day celebrations - a function that brings all Kenyans in Kansas City together as one people. The community is very united and cherishes the “harambee” spirit which embraces collective responsibility.  This spirit has come alive during important community events such as weddings, funerals, and sports. For example when there is a funeral, within a week we raise enough funds to transport the body back home,” says Prof Kidwaro who was last month elected president of Halala Kansas City chapter.

A believer in faith, the soft-spoken Prof Kidwaro belongs to Breakthrough Community Church where he is a Men’s ministry leader. It is one of five Kenyan community churches in Kansas City.  Prof Kidwaro plays soccer on the Kansas City Kenyan team. He also enjoys playing golf and tennis. When he is relaxing, he likes to listen to the inspirational music of award-winning Tanzanian gospel singer, Rose Muhando and loves playing with his energetic two boys Andrew and Mark.

A dream too far

It is a far dream for most boys from Mwihila Secondary School. The school is not one of those institutions that one associates with pedigree achievers like say, Alliance High or even Kakamega Boys High School. In fact few people will tell you they know it or have heard about it. It is one of those rural schools that exist on the margins of society and the only time they come into the news, it is almost always for the wrong reasons like students rioting. Yet, it is here that Prof Kidwaro nurtured his ambition to achieve academic excellence and make something of his life despite his humble environment.

“I went to Mwihila because my brother had gone there and my mother suggested that I go there as well. I also had a few friends schooling there. It was very peaceful and conducive to academic study with little to distract you such as you see in some urban based schools,’ he says of his former alma mater.

Man of Hope: Prof Fanson Kidwaro at work as head of the department of agriculture, University of Central Missouri in the USA and below with his beloved wife, Florence and children Mark (left) and Andrew (right)

After his ‘O’ levels, Prof Kidwaro who likes a meal of chapatti a lot, wanted to go to Kakamega High School for his ‘A’ levels but his sister, Janet Kavetsa Zintambila arranged for him to come to the United States where he enrolled for a Bachelor’s degree at Truman State University. Still armed only with hope, Prof Kidwaro got a soccer scholarship at Truman which helped pay his fees. From here he proceeded to Central Missouri State University for his masters and a PhD at the University of Missouri –Columbia which he received in 1997.

Now in the labor market, Prof Kidwaro who comes from Avasali clan first got a teaching job at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City but in 1999 he was hired as an adjunct professor at the University of Central Missouri and two years later his positive mien turned hope into a dream job as a full time professor at the same university where he has risen to become head of the department of agriculture. So how did he do it?

Growing up in the village, there was little else to widen the scope of imagination of a young lad. But what little there was, Prof Kidwaro made use of it. The smallholder tea farming plots in Chavavo village inspired Prof Kidwaro to want a career in agriculture so that he could be employed by top companies in Kenya. “I wanted to be employed by either Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) or Kenya Breweries to work in their barley research unit. They were the best employers then,” he says

Revolutionary research

Although coming to the USA changed the direction of things, the ambition to achieve is still burning in Prof Kidwaro who is deeply involved in various research projects. He is currently conducting research in cereal crops (wheat), forage crops and switch grass at the university agronomy farm to be used in the production of cellulosic ethanol and biogas as part of the Centre for Alternative Fuels and Environmental Systems (CAFE) program. The keen football enthusiast is excited about the research opportunities for students at the new Prussing Research Farm funded by 20 companies in the first research of its kind. Some of his research papers have been published in the respected Journal of Plant Nutrition and Missouri Academy of Science Proceedings Journal. He has presented papers at Agronomy and Crop Science Societies of America.

Prof Kidwaro’s appetite for research shows no signs of diminishing. Ever so hopeful, he will shortly begin research into a variety of rye grass which is reportedly yielding plenty of animal feed for farmers in the southern states of Oklahoma and Tennessee. Preparatory to the impending research, his department has hired a new Animal Science professor who will collaborate with him on feeding trials. He is also working on development of a new forage crop legend II Lespedeza funded by a local seed company, Cutting Edge Technologies.  

So how can Prof Kidwaro’s research skills be harvested to benefit his homeland? “A lot of the research that I do can be replicated in Kenya. Napier grass for instance can be researched to develop a variety that grows faster and plenty. KARI has the capacity to do so but they always complain they have no money,” he says. The problem in Kenya is a cultural one, he says. “For instance goat milk is just as nutritious as cow milk but people are reluctant to use this milk although they are happy to eat goat meat. It is important that a cultural shift occurs to ensure we have a variety of food products. Small ruminants like goats do not need much space and food to breed like cows.”

In touch with his roots

Talking to Prof Kidwaro, one comes across a self assured, confident and sociable individual.  Although he has lived in the United States for the last quarter century, he is deeply attached to his roots. “Before I got married, I used to go home twice a year. Now I go once a year,” he says. He is not all about academics though. Of course his world view is shaped by his socio-cultural orientation and he seems to see opportunities where others may see problems. Around Kansas City and Missouri, he is something of a hero primarily as a result of his community leadership skills. He is unassuming and welcoming of strangers. His interest in leaving the world a better place than he found it finds expression not only in community initiatives but also, perforce, politics. He takes up the story:

Florence Kidwaro with sons Andrew (left) and Mark (right)

Luhya unity: Even though we have 18 sub tribes, if you ask all of them to list their problems, chances are they’ll come up with a similar list. So whether you are a Kabras or Tiriki, all Luhya are facing the same problem. We need to exploit cultural components such as language and aesthetics that bind us together in order to achieve unity in diversity. A political structure is another cultural component that we as Luhya don’t seem to appreciate. The culture of poverty makes us gullible so that whoever comes and gives us something, we follow them and in the process, compromise our integrity and our values.

We need to mobilize people in Nairobi and other urban areas and the Diaspora to push the agenda for development in Western. For instance, Halala has come up with the idea of a mobile clinic. This is a timely idea. At the moment, people do not seek medical help if they appear sick; they have to be almost comatose for anyone to wheel barrow them to a hospital.

People like Masinde Muliro, Moses Mudavadi, Martin Shikuku, Silas Jirongo and Fred Gumo have tried to unite Luhya. Their efforts need to be complimented by all Luhya by shunning petty differences.  The late Moses Budamba Mudavadi was exemplary in offering service leadership. He was the kind of leader who would actually serve you tea personally where other leaders want to be served and hero-worshipped as mheshimiwa. That kind of service leadership is lacking in our leaders. Masinde Muliro earned the respect of most Luhya and Shikuku’s outspokenness highlighted the issues facing the poor of which Luhya are a majority. Jirongo, on the other hand, seems to seek Luhya unity to get him votes to become the president. He commissioned a report which I presented to him that identified the issues that needed attention and a definite road map to achieve targets. He promised to follow them through but I never heard from him again. He seems to be surrounded by wakora (conmen).

Political journey

Politics: In 2007, I embarked on a learning journey to test the waters in politics. I started off by visiting schools and talking to teachers and several community groups about development issues across the board. What I discovered was that politicians in Kenya are a jealous lot. The moment they realize you are making inroads, they seek ways of putting your head on the chopping board. In my Vihiga constituency, the then incumbent Andrew Ligale saw me as a threat even though we are friends. So I decided I won’t seek nomination from ODM like him but use another party out of respect. I settled on Jirongo’s KADDU.

Big joke

However, when it came to nominations, the process was nothing but a big joke.  The ballot boxes could not arrive on time for some reason and the party leader said we use any means so long as we gave him a candidate. In the meantime, my main opponent, Tom Kisia, the secretary of Knut, Vihiga branch had intimidated all the teachers whom I had earlier talked to. I went with Alice Kirambi who was also contesting the Sabatia Parliamentary seat on a KADDU ticket to Nairobi to see Jirongo and lay our frustration at his door only to find out that the process was nothing but political business at work.

When that too proved shambolic, Ligale called me for a meeting at Kenya United Club and said he’ll talk to Uhuru Kenyatta for me to join Kanu and get the party’s nomination. Even parties like Chama cha Wakulima and UDM called me to say that I should go for their certificate to be their candidate in Vihiga, but I realized that when people are hungry, visionary leadership is a pipe dream. I therefore decided to postpone my political aspirations and concentrate on my career first.

Community worker

By John Ngirachu, Sept 8 2009
When he first followed neighbours to school as an eight-year-old boy 31 years ago, he was merely doing what his friends did, but his parents neither knew nor cared about it. And while at Chilobani Primary School, Ileho Division in Shinyalu Constituency, he loved to play football. But just months ago, Justus Kizito Mugali rose at his father’s funeral and bowed to pressure from elders who had been pestering him to declare his candidacy for the seat left vacant by his friend Charles Lilechi Lugano. I campaigned “I campaigned for him after being asked to give way in 2007. You see, I’m from a poor family, and he was respected and more recognisable,” said the MP on Monday. He eventually won with 14,452 votes against the 5,080 garnered by his closest rival, Kaddu’s Daniel Khamasi.

Two funerals and one election: Mr Kizito had just lost his father two days after the former MP died, and had to help organise two funerals, with his father being laid to rest on May 23, a week after Mr Lugano was buried. Although he had to borrow his mother’s leso as a child as he waited for his uniform to dry after washing, circumstances have since improved. He holds a masters degree in education administration and finance, and has his sights set on a seat in the Cabinet and eventually, his name on the ballot card as a presidential candidate. Now he has a personal assistant, a bodyguard and a driver, and telephone calls are coming in two a minute; the assistant is fully occupied answering and redirecting them. He is in a buttoned-up black suit and swings comfortably in the chair, the picture of a man doing well. “My father had two wives, 14 children and just two acres of land on which he depended to feed us. It was no coincidence that I was the only one who got educated,” said the 39-year-old Shinyalu MP, who last week became one of the newest members of the august House. At school, he realised it was not hard to grasp what was being taught. The teachers noted that the barefoot boy was bright, and encouraged him to stay in school. He sat the primary school examinations in 1983, and was admitted at Mukumu Boys School, one of the few boarding secondary schools in Shinyalu. It was set up with the support of the Catholic Church.

World Vision to the rescue: “I approached a man called Henry Lubanga, who was then a manager with the Muhuru Family Project of World Vision. They looked at my history and agreed to pay half the fees,” said Mr Kizito. It was at the World Vision headquarters at Karen in Nairobi that the Nation met him on a visit he had made to thank them for the help they gave him back then. World Vision is dependent on sponsors, says sponsorship manager Muthoni Ngugi. There are currently 139,909 registered children under the programme. But while Mr Kizito’s burden had been halved, it had not gone away yet and he says many were the times he dropped out for up to a month to earn the balance by burning charcoal at Kakamega Forest. Still, he qualified for Advanced Level and joined St Peter’s Mumias, where World Vision paid Sh5,700 per year for his fees. He performed well and eventually went to Egerton University in 1993 to pursue a bachelors degree in languages.

Boy child is an endangered species

After a brief stint teaching at Olkejuado Boys High and Matasia Secondary School, he went back to school, this time to Kenyatta University for his masters degree. He eventually went on to teach at Eregi Teachers College and the Catholic University of East Africa. It is perhaps from this background that he speaks with passion about the education problems facing Shinyalu constituents. “The boy-child there is endangered and for the five girls’ secondary boarding schools, there is only one - Mukumu Boys,” he said.

Voter bribery: “Did you bribe voters?” He seems surprised at the question, but says he did not, insisting that voters’ mind-sets are changing, although they are always willing to take the money that’s dished out to them. When Mr Lugano died, it was even difficult to get photographs of him. “It is up to the media to follow MPs who do things for their constituents, not just those who shout; you will discover there are many of my colleagues doing something to ensure their people don’t suffer the way people like myself did,” he said confidently.

Source: Nation, Sept 8 2009

By Shad Bulimo, August 5 2009
In the beginning there was Joseph Martin Olukhanya but his father Johana Oyondi called him simply Shikuku.  He started life as a seminarian at St Peter’s Seminary in Mukumu, Kakamega.  His teacher, the late Mwalimu Matayo Shiundu Mukenya from Mumias described him as ‘’a clever and naughty boy.” It was a trait that was to catapult Shikuku into national limelight when at the age of 20 he quit the calling of serving the Lord to embrace the urgent need to emancipate his people from the yoke of colonialism.

But not before he tried to find a career that would earn him a living. His first job was a laboratory assistant at Magadi Soda.  Although he liked his job, Magadi Soda was located in a remote outpost it did not suit a gregarious individual like Shikuku who got a kick by being closer to crowds. Consequently, he quit the chemical firm and found work as a train guard in Nairobi, the first African to hold that post. Although he had become politically aware aged only six in 1939 and was active since 1952 when Mau Mau fronted struggle for uhuru, it was not until 1960 that Shikuku was elected by Kadu as the national youth leader.  Now well positioned to put his debating skills to good use, his first most important task was to travel to London as part of a delegation that was to negotiate the constitution of independent Kenya at Lancaster House, London.
The rest as they say is history.  Shikuku has for five decades been at the centre of politics in Kenya.  When the powers that be felt he had gone overboard and was snooping too closely on their vested interests, at best they threw him into detention.. More...
Martin Shikuku in Cambridge, England writing his memoirs.

Martin Shikuku, former MP for Butere

My father was a wise man. He taught me that I should not encourage borrowing or lending for this causes feuds and schisms. However if you must lend, he cautioned, do so only as a last resort; but you must immediately write off the loan in your mind. And should your debtor repay you, give thanks to God and take 10% to Church as an offering. If your debtor has reneged on repayment, do not go for him. Instead make a conscious effort to avoid him; for his quilt may drive him to kill you.

I got stick from Bukusu traditionalists and some Christians for digging my own grave in Kimilili Settlement Plot Number 259 in Bungoma where I live but I tell you preparing your final resting place is not unchristian as some people would have you believe. Jesus of Nazareth was buried in a grave that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. It was a common practice to prepare your final resting place and that is the tradition that I am following. As for Bukusu traditionalists, I told them that I am not a Bukusu and therefore not in breach of their traditions. More...

Musa Amalemba:  Moses (Musa) Amalemba (immortalised by an estate bearing his name in Kakamega) pioneered initial steps at forging Luhya unity. Before independence Amalemba from Idakho formed Buluhya Political Union (BPU) as the voice of the Luhya in the political dispensation emerging in Kenya at the time. When he had a position in Kenya Airways, he was not ashamed to employ Luhya.

Canon Jeremiah Musungu Awori:  I am a great admirer of Canon Awori for his contribution to the intellectual stock in Luhyaland. He sired 18 children from one wife – a record – all of whom have gone on to achieve great things. 

Moses Mudavadi:  Mudavadi had Luhyaism in him. When he was in a position to help, he would help Luhya people first.  For instance, when he was minister for local government, City Hall was like a Luhya village.  And when he was minister for education, it is open secret that the majority of untrained Luhya teachers got employed by his direct intervention.  Politically we did not see eye to eye as he was part of an oppressive system of Moi dictatorship which I was fighting. 

Silas Jirongo:  Unlike his contemporaries, I find that Jirongo is not afraid to take the bull by the horns.  At least he tries to reach out to the community or involve himself in things that matter to the community. He has been chairman of AFC Leopards and was instrumental in setting up the Luhya Council of Elders which he funded. However, he seems to be interested in these initiatives for short term gain and when we refused to endorse him for president, he abandoned us. More...

EXTRAORDINARY WILDLIFE CONSERVATIONIST

Michael Werikhe Documentary. In his honour, The East African Wildlife Services has an annual award called The Michael Werikhe Perpetual Trophy which is sponsored by the EAWLS each year and awarded by the Rhino Ark. There is also the Michael Werikhe Foundation which is continuing the work pioneered by the late legendary conservationist. Mr Werikhe died in 1999 and is survived by two daughters.

Coastweek - - Those who knew Michael Werikhe well; those who are here today to pay their very special respects to a man of rare quality; knew him as a deeply caring man, an impeccably honest, modest, loyal friend and colleague. But in the ways the outside world normally measures a person, Michael Werikhe was a very ordinary man. And in many respects he led a very ordinary life.

So why did President Daniel arap Moi, President Ali Hassan Mwinyi, U.N. Secretary General Perez de Cuelleur, the Rev Jesse Jackson, U.S. President George Bush, and Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh all want to meet this ordinary man, and shake his hand ?

He wasn't rich.

He wasn't powerful.

He wasn't a sporting superstar.

He wasn't a great scientist or writer or speaker or artist.

He didn't invent anything.

He was just an ordinary man.

From an ordinary home.

Doing an ordinary job.

From afar, here was one of life's most ordinary people, strolling down the road, wearing a funny little cap and carrying a rucksack in which he kept his pet python, stopping here and there to chat to people along the way. So why did several of the the most eminent leaders of the modern world notice this man who liked to slowly walk and quietly talk as he ambled across the surface of the earth during his time upon it.

Why did the Guinness Corporation, the World Society for the Protection of Animals, the Goldman Environmental Foundation, The Zoological Society of San Diego and the Kenya Wildlife Service bestow upon him their highest honours ?

Why did the Eddie Bauer Institute acclaim him as a member of their elite "Heroes of the Earth" ? Why, among the hundreds, even thousands, of conservation organisations, societies, clubs, zoos, sanctuaries, environmentalists, sponsors, researchers and leaders of mankind's efforts to save wild animals in general and endangered species like the rhino in particular, was Michael Werikhe known and loved and respected the world over as: "The Rhino Man" ?

When that is the name that brings you to the door of State House, the White House, the U.N. Headquarters and Buckingham Palace, it is no mere nickname.

It is a title that carries recognition of a truly massive achievement. It is a statement that here is the champion of a global cause, the symbol of a worldwide commitment, the standard-bearer of an international care and concern on a subject of importance to all mankind. He did this with no special advantage of birth or wealth or education or special influence of any other kind.

He had only one special ingredient: a deeply caring concern in his heart for the natural things of the earth, and all the creatures upon it. He did not seek glory or recognition, and was never much absorbed with accolades nor impressed by fame when it was thrust upon him. His only ambition was to share his love of the wild, with anybody and with everybody, equally. Back at work as a security supervisor at AVA, it made no difference whether he had just walked out of the bush or just met George Bush.

His work was exemplary, and he continued to give his superiors, his colleagues and his subordinates his open-hearted friendship, his honest respect - no more than he would give to a barefoot toto; no less than he would give to the president of the United States. His modesty and his integrity brings to mind the words of Rudyard Kipling's great poem. . .

"If you can walk with crowds and keep your virtue,
And talk with kings nor lose the common touch. . ."

Michael Werikhe might never have read those lines, but he lived them, more literally and more completely, than any man I know. So genuine was Michael Werikhe's character and mission, I suspect that in his quiet personal moments and with his children Acacia and Kora, he never reflected:

"look at me, ordinary Michael Werikhe, meeting presidents and royalty".

And by that very real and very true self-effacement he turned the tables on the high and the mighty. He wasn't meeting them with pride. They were meeting him, perhaps with envy. He was not for one moment deterred by the fact that with nothing he might get nowhere. His life's philosopy, I believe, was:

"Perhaps there is very little I can do. But I will do whatever little I can."

With that quiet determination, he took the first and every succeeding step of his walk through life, for 46 years. And as all of us here well know, he achieved much; in large part because he did not waste one atom of his scarce resources in achieving anything for himself. His every care, his every thought, and his every act, was for others.

Therein lies the meaning of Michael Werikhe. Much more than any conservation specifics or awards or achievements, the message Michael Werikhe carried through the world, and the gift he leaves us with now, is the knowledge that even the most ordinary life can be lived in the most extraordinary way.

That poem of Kiplings, which summarises the very finest qualities any man can aspire to, might well have been written with a Michael Werikhe in mind, even to the very end, where he was so bravely true to the challenge:

"If you can meet with triumph and disaster,
And treat those two impostors just the same. . ."

The Rhino Man will be sorely missed and never forgotten. It was a great privilege to have worked with him and known him.

- P.J.C.H., Mombasa.

Source: Coastweek

Enock Ondego: composer of Kenyatta's favourite song 'Kenya Yetu'

By our correspondent, July 27 2009
After being (rejected) by the new government I decided to go back to teaching. I was posted to Kwale district. I did not want to go to Maragoli. “I taught at Samburu primary school near Maji ya Chumvi, on the main Mombasa-Nairobi highway. We were all very happy, and Kenya was celebrating – I started to compose songs crying for our struggle and praising our new country and the new leaders. This is how I became the first teacher to sing for the president. When Kenyatta was on his way to Mombasa, I arranged that we would come to the road to cheer. I was the first in Kenya to do this. Before me choirs were only in churches.

Now there is something I have not told you. In Nairobi things were terrible. Even if I was not a Gikuyu, I was very moved by the things the colonial government was doing. I saw a lot. I saw women in Shauri Moyo. They made them sit with their legs open and their skirts hiked. Then – I am a man of God, it is improper to say this – the askaris molested them with Tusker bottles – the long Tusker bottles… they would put in between her legs and one would kick with all his strength, until the woman collapses. It was this that made me start to compose.

Enock Ondego’s story begins in a village called Mazigolo, Kenya in what was then known as South Maragoli in Western province, where he was born in 1930. He started teaching at 17 and would soon leave for Nairobi to join the pre-independence clamour for African political rights, working with the likes of Tom Mboya, James Gichuru and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.We pick up his story shortly after independence after his attempts to run for the Mombasa parliamentary seat were thwarted by Kanu in favour of home-grown Juma Boy.

Then, one day I saw a blue tractor with a harrow. There were Gikuyu women chained to the harrow with one hand, and to the bridge with the other, the bridge above the dirty water in Pumwani. There were seven women. They were asking them, “Where are your husbands?” “We don’t know,” they were saying, “We don’t know.” “So you die,” said one of the Askaris. And one of the women said, “Then we will be with God.” And so the tractor roared into action, and the women were dragged, and started to hit each other as they were stretched, and they were pulled until they died there. I saw everything...the blood, the screams…they kept calling God’s name. Ngai, Ngai. I felt a lot of pain. And that was the subject of the song I sang for Kenyatta, and when he heard my children singing, he cried. We also sang the other song, Kenya’s most famous independence song. Did you know that I composed it? The song is called “Huu ni Wimbo wa Historia (This is a Song of History)”:

You could hear the children’s voices singing there on the road that day, and it was beautiful. Mzee Kenyatta listened to all the songs.
Do you know of anybody who saw Kenyatta shed tears? Police stopped all the cars coming to and from Nairobi, and they all heard us singing. It was very powerful. People came out of the cars and started clapping. Mzee asked me where the school was, and I pointed it out to him. He told me to have uniforms made for the choir, so they can go to sing in State House, Mombasa.

It was the fifth month of 1964 that I started to go to State House to sing. The Mzee would come to Mombasa in April, August and December, when his children were out of school. He loved Mombasa. We were taken by the community lorry. I would not rest when he was in Mombasa. I performed with my choir everyday. Mohal Lal, an Indian man, made our uniforms. The first choir had 62 children. It was at this time that I composed the song that everybody in Kenya has come to love. It is also Kenya’s most loved freedom song:

When Mzee heard this song, he said it must be taught to the police band. They sent me to Kahawa to teach the band. I taught them, and they played it for Kenyatta, and he told me that I was only to perform the song on State occasions. So we found a routine. When the president needed me, a message would be sent to the District Commissioner, who would summon my local chief, and a car would be sent for us.
There was always a stage and shelter for Kenyatta and the VIPs. When the President approached, there was a whistle and we stood up. Kenyatta would wave to the public to relax, and then we would start to perform. By this time there were different groups: dancers and other traditional performers. I was very well known now. I was not born again yet. So I would arrive and the Presidential escorts would take me behind their canteen and I would have some beers.
They were very moved by my songs. Once I was asked to compose a song in three days, to welcome Emperor Haile Selassie at Port Reitz. He was a good friend of Kenyatta’s. He visited Kenya in 1967, 1968 and 1969.

Another time, Mzee asked me to conduct a mass choir; I had now 2,600 children from six choirs for the opening of the “Uhuru na Kazi” building in Mombasa. I conducted them all while standing on a table. That day Mzee said I was to be promoted to P1 straightaway.
Although there were many groups now singing for the President, and many people started making things difficult, if Kenyatta found we were not at an event, he would fire those in charge of the programme. Other times we were in State House, and he would wave away the dancers, the likes of Mwomboko and Nyakinyua and call for the Mwalimu. “Bring on the Teacher,” he would say, “bring on the Teacher.”

We would sing 8 or 9 songs, I would get very tired, and people got upset at me. I was never paid any money by Kenyatta. Kenyatta only gave money to people from his tribe. Nyakinyua got millions, and beach plots in Mombasa. The only gift I got was a promotion to P1. He gave money to the Gikuyu basket weavers at Mwembe Tayari. Nyandarua group were also given a lot of money.
In Gatundu he would receive so many Gikuyus. One day he asked those who wanted money to raise their hands. They raised them. Then he asked them to move to one side. Then he asked those who had come for shambas. They moved to another side. Then he asked his Askaris to chase the ones who came for money, they beat them away. Those who came for shambas queued, and the PC started taking their names down. I used to go to State House and he would ask me, “Maragoli who taught you these things, all these words you sing?” And I would tell him I am just talented.

Once, he took me alone to his special room, and opened his cabinet, full of many bottles of expensive alcohol. And we drank together. But I lie, there is a time I got money from Mzee. After some years, I became tired and decided to desert Kenyatta. It was very difficult. He loved Mombasa - he would stay all of April, and leave in May. Then August to September. Then the whole of December. So while every other teacher and student was on holiday, I was conducting. Everyday I was conducting.
The choirmaster took a bus to his rural home where he remained for several years while Kenyatta asked after him. Finally, he was traced to a hotel where he had found a job as a waiter and taken back to Kwale in 1974 on orders of the Coast provincial commissioner Eliud Mahihu. In the car, they said, “You know, Mzee has asked us to take you to Kwale.”
We drove until the Likoni ferry. We crossed and went straight to the DC’s office. This was in ‘74. From the DC’s I was taken to Kwale Primary School. Then I was told, by the DC, “This is where you will be. We have told the people from Kenya National Union of Teachers that there will be trouble for them if you disappear.”
They gave me a house near the road. And there was always The DC’s Land Rover parked nearby, watching me. Sometimes Mzee came to the DC’s grounds just to be sang for. We got new uniforms. Kenyatta, all those years, ordered new uniforms seven times for my choirs. So from that day, I never missed performing for Kenyatta, until he died in 1978. In fact, we played for him the day he died.
This was in August of 1978. That week he had been strange. He was asking us to play for him a lot. He seemed all right, but you could not see his eyes. He was wearing spectacles. On the Monday, we were told we were going to sing for him in Tiwi. We sang there for one day, then the Guard told me he said he did not want to be there.
So we left and went to Msambweni, a place called Bombeni. He had called all the Cabinet and ambassadors and his family. They had built a huge stage, 30 feet long. There was a toilet in the back and a place for him to go and rest. They planted flowers. The place is still there.
By the end of the fourth day, all the family was there. Then he said he did not want anybody to sing, just my choir. So I went to the stage. We started performing. But after a bit, I noticed that he looked strange – I looked at his hand, and there was no fly whisk! It was made of a cow’s tail. I had never seen him without it – but now it was sitting between his legs. Then it fell, and it was taken to the car.
Usually we had a signal, I would put one hand up when we needed a break and he would signal that we could stop. After 5 songs, I was tired. I had tried signalling but no response. I bowed to suggest we leave, but he raised his hand, signalling that we continue. After 8 songs, he looked at Mahihu, and they surrounded him and took him to the toilet. That child of Peter, the one from Juja, took the fly whisk from the car and put it in his hand.
It was during the 9th song that Mzee collapsed. He was surrounded immediately. Somebody ran to the door and pushed a button and the door was open. Then they lifted him through the back to the car. I am telling you people must have died that day because the car mowed through the crowd. It was Ramadhan, so there were many people. They left so fast, even the guards did not know Mzee had left.
His wife and Mahihu were in the car. Cars followed...ni noo ni nooo... They were screaming. But on the way, the car met Dr. Mngola’s car coming to see the Mzee, and they turned back. We thought he had fainted.
We were told to go home. That a car would come for us the next day. We waited but the car did not come. At 1O’clock we heard that he was dead. That day I wondered how stupid I was. He used to tell me, “open there, take anything you want.” The fridge had a glass door, and made a sound like khrrrr, and I would take two beers and be drunk.
If I had been wise I would have told him that I had no land. So I started crying and the children started crying. They came to pick us up for the wake – and we saw his oiled face. He was glowing.

By Shad Bulimo, July 13 2009
The Bible says be kind to a stranger, she could be an angel in disguise. She prefers to remain invisible. You need more than normal eyes to spot her in an audience. Yet this unassuming daughter of Butere is a Luhya gem that I feel privileged to have discovered recently. In a busy office block in Hackney, East London, a lot is going on pretty much unnoticed by the outside world. Deans London, a brainchild of Dr Jedidah Enoch-Onchere is restoring hope to hundreds of people for whom life had ceased to have a meaning through vocational training programmes that lead to immediate employment.

Born to a church leader, Enoch Obulemire and Flora Apondi of Ebushirotsa, Butere, Jedidah Asumwa is the last born in a family of seven. Her siblings include Margaret Nandwa, Joel Eyinda, Fanuel Matati (deceased), Bernard Omolo, Jasper Mani, Eric Apindi (deceased).  The first born child of Enoch and Flora, Shitseswa, died aged just ten.

Butere Girls School a gift from her father: The soft-spoken Jedidah says although her mum inspired her, her dad had the greatest impact on her life. He was not only spiritually enriching, he was just a good person to the extent people always referred to him as omunabi (prophet). He was so selfless; Butere Girls High School is built on land he donated. His only request to the Board of Governors was that each year a girl from his clan, the abashirotsa gets a bursary. It is understood that this covenant is still observed to this day, 31 years since he left this world.

Top of her class: Jedidah says her life has been guided by the values of hard work and fair play instilled into her as a child by her father. These values saw the young girl breeze through her “O” Levels at Butere Girls as a top student in 1969 with a very strong Division One of seven points (a point short of the maximum six). That earned her a place at the coveted Alliance Girls High School in Central Province where she studied her “A” Levels. She scored top grades to earn a place at the University of Nairobi, Kabete Campus to study Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.

Winner of Shell Prize: But while Jedidah was studying hard, others were watching. The academically-gifted Jedidah was adjudged the Best Student in her year in 1975 and won the coveted Shell Prize. This recognition only spurred Jedidah to work even harder. She was immediately admitted back for a master’s degree programme as part of staff training at Kabete. She specialised in Soil Science and went on to graduate in 1978.

PhD scholarship at Reading University: As part of her field work, she worked for one year at Muguga Agricultural Research Centre as a soil scientist. In the meantime, the rising star of Jedidah was attracting attention from all manner of places both local and international. Spoilt for choice, Jedidah chose to pursue academics at Reading University in UK after winning a scholarship from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Atomic energy always conjures up memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki where the Allied forces dropped the deadly atomic bombs to the recalcitrant Japanese who were fighting alongside Hitler during the Second World War. Our girl could have chosen to study the science of making weapons of mass destruction; she was wiser; she chose soil chemistry graduating with a PhD in 1982.

Love in the air: Few mortals can cope with an intense academic programme let alone combine with anything else. But not for Jedidah. While she was busy submitting term essays, her eyes had also caught the eyes of a dashing young man by the name of Simeon Onchere, a son of the Abagusii, also at Kabete studying Agricultural Economics. The chemistry between the two young lovers generated so much heat it increased global warming.  Conscious of the impact of their actions on the physical and social environment, the lovebirds solemnised their betrothal in a matrimonial ceremony in Nairobi in 1976 at St Andrews Church.

Children arrive: A year later, God rewarded them with a son, Edward (married to Rachael from Hull, England) in Nairobi followed by a daughter, Diana in 1981 (now Mrs Diana Humphrey) in Reading, England. Besides the two, Jedidah also has Sylvia Kanya, 22 whom she adopted from Uganda. She has two grandchildren, Sophia, 3 (Diana’s) and Siena, 2 (Sylvia’s).

The marriage to Onchere lasted 21 years. Jedidah says she has no regrets that the marriage went on the rocks because she tried everything to make it work but “ultimately if you can’t reach a compromise, you have to let go.”  She says her and Onchere were two very ambitious people who complimented and supported each other very well in their careers and contact networks.

Choice between family and career : After acquiring her PhD from Reading, Jedidah went to teach chemistry at Egerton College (now Egerton University). She was here for two years when her husband was appointed coffee attaché at the Kenya High Commission in London. “It was hard choice to make to join him in London as a housewife because I needed to continue with my career,” she says. A breakthrough came when the Kenya Government awarded her a research grant that allowed her to come to London to carry out research on soil fertility at the world renown Rothamsted Research Station, Harpenden, Hertfordshire (the oldest agricultural research station in the world).

But that grant was only for one year and so in 1986, Jedidah decided to make another of those decisions that only super mortals are capable of – switch career. She enrolled for a diploma course in computing and artificial intelligence (precursor to satellite navigation technology) at London South Bank University. On completion she got a part time job at Barnet College teaching basic computing skills like word processing. “This gave me an opportunity to look after my family and earn an income,” she says.

World Bank and UNDP consultant: During this time, another window of opportunity opened. She started consultancy work with World Bank and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). They say you need to be in work to get better work. For Jedidah, her consultancy work with the two world organisations boosted her profile so much she was head hunted to lead an information technology community project in Stonebridge Park, one of the most deprived areas of North West London.

“It was here that I first got the inspiration to branch out on my own. I felt I needed to put something back into the community. If we can’t create opportunities for ourselves, we cannot expect anyone else to create them for us,” she says.

At work: Jedidah in her office at Deans London College. The former Egerton College (now university) chemistry lecturer says she wishes a day had more than 24 hours to enable her complete the workload in her in-tray.

Dr Jedidah Enoch-Onchere. Chemistry lecturer turned IT professional.

Giving something back to the community: Armed with the desire to make a difference in the community and fully equipped with the technical expertise and experience, Jedidah embarked upon setting up a series of Information Technology Colleges (ITeCs). Her first college was North London ITeC which she set up in partnership with two Nigerians, Joe Okoli and Ose Akpom. “The first two years were difficult as local authorities didn’t trust us. But we were prepared for the long haul. Our determination finally started bearing fruit and funding began flowing in and grew from strength to strength. Today me, Joe and Ose are no longer actively involved but the college is in full bloom. We are only consulted as and when necessary,” she says.

Gave away her baby: Like her father before her, Jedidah created the North London ITeC and gave it away. Few can understand the logic of investing so much time, energy and resources in a project only to give it away when it begins to bear fruit. “From the beginning, the idea was not to benefit me or an individual but the community,” she retorts.

The same deterministic zeal has seen Jedidah create three more colleges which again are running independent of her. First was UXL in Hackney where she fought to have Cisco taught at the tertiary level to the surprise of industry technocrats who always thought Cisco was strictly a university-level course. Next were East London ITeC and South London ITeC with another Nigerian, Peter Osalor. All these colleges are still running and besides the traditional IT training, she has added other vocational courses like sound engineering.

Renew Trust: The sky looked like the limit but still laden with tonnes of energy, Jedidah was again head hunted to run Renew Trust, an agency that was involved in recycling domestic appliances. That was in 2002. Her remit was to set up 14 training centres across the UK to train people in recycling techniques within three years. Within one year, she exceeded all expectations. She set up eight in Gateshead, Plymouth, Harlow, Dagenham, Telford, Merseyside, Northampton and Leeds. But the travelling up and across the country took its toll even on the indefatigable Jedidah. So after just one year, she quit Renew Trust to set up Deans London.

Deans London: Jedidah started Deans London with a small grant of £15,000 from The Learning Trust to teach people English but after one year, she decided to add domestic appliance repairing courses. In the last two years, she has added security training, customer services, cleaning and construction skills (plumbing, electrical installations, kitchen and bathroom installations), GCSE for disaffected young people, training to her stable. In addition, Deans London also offers courses in business administration, customer care and consultancy services. Last year, it won a major grant to document the culture of the Igbo tribe of Nigeria.

Creating jobs: Most graduates eventually work as self employed. Deans London also provides:

In 2007/2008, Deans London trained 738 people with additional 865 people enrolled this year alone (including 110 young people aged 14-19 years old). At the beginning of this year, Deans London employed 23 people but due to credit crunch, this number has shrunk to 17 while each of the four ITeC’s employs over 20 people.

Success! What success?: Personal success doesn’t excite Jedidah much.  She says her greatest satisfaction is to see the life of young people, especially black boys, transformed into something meaningful. With a strong outreach team, Deans London looks out for these youth and offers them a chance to train within their own post code area if they can’t travel far because of gang crimes. “To see people previously written off achieve something in their life is surreal,” she says. When one young man came in and said “thank you so much; you actually saved my life,” she felt her eyes twinge. Nonetheless, it is not lost on close observers just how much this woman from Butere has achieved. Last year, she won a Barking College Award for Excellence.

Low moments: While Jedidah is self assured and satisfied with her work, she is only human and has her low moments. However the way she deals with disappointments and moments of emotional distress is to put everything on a scale. That is she rates everything in terms of importance or usefulness. For instance if she gets cross with you or something annoys her, she quickly evaluates whether it is worth spending her emotional energies locked up in a fit of anger. “If I decide it’s not worth my time, the most I can be angry is ten minutes,” she says. “I cannot invest more than 10 minutes in anger. It’s negative energy.”

I wish a day had more than 24 hrs: Jedidah, whose favourite dish is a fish called lisatsu, says sometimes she feels disappointed with herself because she can never seem to do enough and wishes the day had more than 24 hours. Also she feels she disappoints people who build hopes in her and yet she can’t live up to their expectations simply because she just doesn’t have time.

The altruist: The chemistry academic turned IT professional is also something of an altruist. She says she sees good in everyone and everything. “It is a matter of training your mind. If you are looking for negatives, you’ll see plenty,” she admonishes. It is a philosophy that has guided her life throughout. And while her father played a large part in influencing her way of life, it is her strong Christian faith that she finds soothing. When the bishop of her local Anglican church in Thamesmead, Christopher Chissum, needed a facilitator, it is to Dr Jedidah Enoch-Onchere that he turned to. “That was shocking,” she says. “It was a great honour.” That honour lasted 18 months spanning the years 2006-2007. Two years later she hasn’t recovered.

Inspired by her mother: While her father influenced her conscience, her entrepreneurship is largely derived from her mother. The daughter of a Luo chief, Flora Apondi trained and worked as a teacher, nurse and farmer. At the same time, she conducted a successful wholesale business on the sides. “She was quite enterprising and inspirational,” she says of her mother who died in 1992 aged 78.

Jedidah on her people, the Luhya

By INGONEWS Reporter, June 01 2009
Jackie Ochieno Odanga truly defines the meaning of a natural artist and a God chosen leader. She has the ability to lead her audience not only in cultural and traditional singing and dancing, but most importantly in the presence of God through powerful praise and worship. Born in Kenya, she attributes the discovery of her musical talent to her grandmother, Jedidah Ochieno, who constantly taught and sang for her Christian songs.

Jackie grew up in Madaraka estate, Nairobi.  Her passion for music started in Mukumu Girls, Kakamega. Later on she joined the Nairobi Pentecostal Church (NPC Central) choir where her talent was developed.

She continued to explore her musical talent in Sweden where she studied for a couple of years. Jackie is now the worship leader at International Faith Outreach Ministries (IFOM) in Massachusetts, USA and she has had the privilege of ministering with great musicians such as Carol Mbithi and Reuben Kigame, among others. She has also had the opportunity of singing for powerful ministers such as Reverend Grace, Apostle Baraza and Apostle Frank Mwebesa among others at various crusades and concerts.

Furthermore, Jackie has had the opportunity of touring various cities in the U.S. While on these tours, she captivated her audience and people would always ask her to record a CD. After a lot of prayer she finally decided to work on her debut CD:  “HERITAGE”.  She enlisted the help of her nephew, Tony Akenga of Worcester, Massachusetts who helped her produce and arrange the music. Thereafter, she mastered her CD with 12th Note production in Boston Massachusetts. As a result, her versatility is showcased.

Her music comprises of traditional Luhya instrumentation fused with modern high end music production that embodies Jackie’s musical talents .This CD is guaranteed to keep you, the listener on your feet all the time.  Jackie is married to Robert Odanga and together God has blessed them with two wonderful children, Shawn and Shawntell.

How to buy the CD:

Top get a copy of Jackie’s pulsating CD, please visit: http://cdbaby.com/cd/jacquiheritage

Watch Jackie on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVWMMQd4AYw&feature=channel_page

Jackie Odanga striking the pose of artistic confidence

Our primary goal was to put our music on the world stage where the rich sounds and the unique Luhya beats are appreciated by all. The other motivation stemmed from the need to preserve our cultural (traditional) music, modernize it and ensure that the authentic beat and rhythm is maintained. We aimed at producing our music with the highest professional standards and making it available to the world digitally.

We mastered the music at 12th Note production, and replicated the music at Our Links within the community and other communities give us a rare opportunity to market our music as a Kenyan treasure. The music will soon be downloadable as ringtones and I tunes. We chose to replicate this Music and not duplicate it so that the consumer’s receives a high quality product.

We are currently working on our DVD that we hope to launch towards the end of the year or early next year. We believe that our people will have a sense of pride in their music. We hope that they will avoid duplicating this CD but rather support us by buying this CD and encouraging a friend to buy one. This will enable us to fulfill our vision and keep our heritage alive.

Papa Shirandula says bye to poverty through comedy

By our correspondent, April 12 2009
Today Charles Bukeko will take his family out to a fancy restaurant in Nairobi to eat together in the spirit of Easter celebration. He can afford it, in sharp contrast to a few years back when hunger was a part of his life. Just the other day, Mr Bukeko would walk all the way to town from Eastlands because he could not afford the Sh10 matatu (public minivan) fare.

Now the worst seems to be over as Mr Bukeko is a millionaire and a celebrity of international repute. Having a conversation with him in public for five uninterrupted minutes is next to impossible. Hardly a minute goes without someone coming over and yelling “Brrr!” to him or shouting out his on-screen name, Papa Shirandula. The greatest attention comes from security guards, who can never let him pass by without violently shaking his hand as they try to tell him how much they love his show and enquire why he decided not to tell his on-screen wife what he does. He is used to this status and basks in its glory with humility. That’s understandable, considering that he was recently broke and living on nothing but hope for a better day. But the reception in Kenya is nothing compared to the kind he gets whenever visits other countries.

Dinner with presidents:

On his last tour to Mauritius, for example, one would have been forgiven for thinking he was a political figure or a Hollywood celebrity. Though he has always received first class treatment abroad, the experience was a bit of a surprise. Private security “They had four fully armed, private security guys in shades and suits, and before I checked into my room, they had sniffer dogs check out if the room was safe,” he said. There was even an armed man stationed outside his hotel room. Then he got a surprise call. “I was informed that the president wanted to say hi to me over dinner. I thought someone was playing tricks on me but, luckily, it was for real.” “He was so happy to meet me because of the Coke ad, and he had seen the Vodacom South Africa one where I acted as Idi Amin. There was nothing specific we talked about, but it was one moment I will never forget,” he said. The president knew of Bukeko’s arrival from the media.

TV comedian Charles Bukeko (Papa Shirandula) joins Isukuti traditional dancers during the Vihiga cultural festival celebrations at Mbale town in Western Kenya - photo by NATION

Toasted in South Africa like a celebrity

In South Africa, Mr Bukeko is a superstar. The hotel where he stays is usually kept secret for security reasons. Crowds of fans would jam the lobby to say hello if they knew the location. When he goes down south, he is received by Kenya’s ambassador, who also sees him off at the airport.

He recalls a time when a security guard mishandled his luggage at Oliver Tambo Airport, and he was angry. “He ran to call for backup and when they came, they realised who I was, and we started laughing and shaking hands. Before I knew it, I had been whisked away to the VIP section, and it has been like that every time I travel to South Africa,” he said.

Coke "Brrr" is the real thing

All this started with the “Brrr” advert for Coke. The promotion has run around the globe wherever Coca-Cola is sold, and even though few know his name outside Kenya, Mr Bukeko’s face is recognisable everywhere. Interestingly, he does not hav a manager, and negotiated the Coke deal on his own.

“I met with a director of Coke from Atlanta, and he told me he was trying to come up with a concept involving an African politician who has travelled to a workshop in a very hot area. He was looking for a way to express the tingly feeling one feels after taking a cold Coke, and we came up with the “Brrr!” effect,” he recalled.

Although he won’t give details, Mr Bukeko does acknowledge that the money he has received from the promotion, said to be millions of shillings, is beyond his wildest of dreams. Today it is hard to imagine that he once walked from Nairobi’s Eastlands to the city centre because he could not raise the fare. He drives top-of-the-range cars. “I never thought this would be possible a few months ago,” he says. This year, he is scheduled for a month-long activation programme in Asia.

Struggling at National Theatre

A reputable stage actor, Mr Bukeko still remembers how he used to hang out at the Kenya National Theatre trying to get a gig. There were many of them, and some are still waiting for their big break. “We started from rock bottom, but what kept us going was the fact that we knew when it came to acting, we were the best there was, and we knew one day we would make it,” he said.

Started as a janitor

Starting out as a halls custodian at the University of Nairobi, Mr Bukeko got into acting by accident when, during a production he was helping a friend organise, actors dropped out at the last minute, and he had to go on stage to save the day. He would wake up at 3 a.m. to rehearse his lines and leave the house early to be in town by 9 a.m.

Too proud to let people know of his challenges, Mr Bukeko only told his mother of his predicament, and she would send him food to last him three months. “She kept telling me to go back to shags (rural home) where there was enough food, but I refused,” says Bukeko.“Transport was Sh10, but we could not afford it and would walk to town with a tie in one pocket, a shoe brush in the other so that we looked presentable when we entered someone’s office for an audition for which we would be paid, at most, Sh5,000,” he added.

They did get jobs, at least six in a year, but they often had to beg for their money from the agencies. “I would go to agencies, do a voice- over for a radio ad perfectly but getting my money was always a pain. Sometimes there were no jobs, and I would hang around KNT to look for shows which would give me some money for fare home,” he recalls. His biggest pay day came when he featured in a show by Ochieng’ Odero, for which he was paid Sh30,000 for just one line, “The film doesn’t film”. “I panicked when I heard how much I was to be paid because the initial amount was Sh15,000, but the show exceeded expectations, and they decided to double our pay. That was a lot of money. I did not even want visitors in my house!” he said.

The big break

His turning point came when he was introduced to legendary theatre director James Falkland, the founder of Phoenix Players. “He advised me to start thinking about production rather than just acting, and he trained me for two years for free, and we even explored sponsorships for our shows.” Mr Bukeko’s dream was to become a professional football player, something that set him on a collision course with his father who wanted him to be a lawyer or an engineer. He played for PanPaper before he broke a leg and quit on the account of his father, who was concerned about his joblessness. His father would ask him: “What do you want me to tell my friends my son does when we meet?” But the old man is proud of his first-born son today. The big money and opportunities began coming in after he volunteered to play a security guard in Bob Nyanja’s 2006 film, Malooned. After that, Wachira Waruru, the Royal Media Services managing director, approached him with an proposal to develop his character in the film into a television series.“Local productions were still a big No, and I remember Waruru saying that we take a risk and see how it would turn out, and that is how Papa Shirandula was born,” her says. The initial target audience was the lower class viewers, but the show exceeded expectations and was an instant hit with everybody. “The funniest part is that security guards look at me like their hero,” he said, adding that he sometimes got scripts from them telling him how hard their lives are. Now that he is rolling in money and fame, the actor plans to start local productions that will help improve the quality of shows and provide employment.

Source: Nation

Kasavuli gets rare order as a grand media warrior

By INGONEWS Reporter, Jan 5 2009

Catherine Kasavuli's smile on the TV screen radiates charm and confidence that have become her hallmark over the last 30 or so years she has worked in teh newsroom. Born to Maragoli parents from Western province, Catherine's services to the media were recognised on December 12 last year when she was awarded Order of Grand Warrior of Kenya during Jamhuri Day celebrations. Kasavuli's recognition for her media services is rare and is in sharp contrast with the draconian media law now signed by president Kibaki into law. Read all about this amazing talented lady from Luhyaland below.

Catherine Kasavuli: Not just another pretty face

Her amazing story: Unfounded rumours of a love tussle between Moi and Kanda Bongoman

Multi-linguist: Catherine speaks fluent Luhya, Swahili, Kisii, Luo, Kikuyu, French and English.

By Topi Lymbila, London Jan 6 2009
The announcement that Catherine Kiza Kasavuli was among those on the Annual Jamhuri Day 2008 Presidential Honours list may have caught many by surprise, but not to some of us who felt it had been long overdue.

Kasav as I and a team of close friends have always called her is one in MILLION. A self made celebrity with her easy charm and electrifying smile that lights up any room or place she finds herself in, I find it quite a privilege to have known her.

The last time I was in Kenya in 2007, Catherine had just moved to Royal Media as Corporate Affairs Director and prime-time News Anchor.  In the short time we were together we chatted and strolled down memory lane when we were both at Kenya Television Network (KTN), recalling the weekend parties at our places, when we would sit back and indulge as our kids played out in the garden, not to mention the hilarious; clubbing, outings we had with the KTN lot. 

My dalliance with Kasav goes way back to our Kenya Broadcasting Corporation days; she and Rosemary Musumba, I do credit for my entry into the broadcast media.  The two ladies literary pulled me into a studio to help out with some male voice translation. Once they listened to the output, they insisted my voice was of broadcast quality, the rest is history.

That history saw us both rated among the best broadcasters on the Continent Africa, winning the Director’s Merit Award in 1987.  Kasav was named best TV presenter  while I was accorded the best TV Sports Commentator after our exploits in the 1987 All Africa Games held in Nairobi Kenya.

Catherine wih left: Herman Igambi (Director of News, Royal Media-Citizen TV) and right facing the camera is Mohammed Juma Njuguna (Editor Swahii News - Citizen Radio). All three are household veteran journalists. Herman and Catherine previously worked together at KBC and KTN.

We have both lived through an era of top class broadcast media, both at KBC and KTN.  I am reminded of some evenings, when we had a full line-up of Luhya presenters and producers during the KBC prime-time news.  Catherine was the Main News Anchor, I was the Sports Anchor, Winnie Mutuli was the Weather presenter, Eddah Adede was the Continuity announcer, Herman Igambi came up as the News Editor and soon after the programme District focus followed presented by Joe Oyando, directed by Jerry Wesonga while Eualalia Namai came up as the Executive Director with Simon Anabwani Head of TV.  How Luhya can you get?

It raised eyebrows all the way to parliament but after inquiries were made, it was quashed on the basis that the KBC was a professional body employing professionals and not a tribal unit; if anything they were seeing the crème de la crème.  The truth of the matter is that the Luhya community at the time and maybe still today is predominant in the artistic fields and communication was the outlet.

Rumours about Catherine and Moi

Catherine is an unassuming lady who will spare a minute for everyone regardless. Her vibrant personality has earned her many friends in professional, public and social circles.  But likewise, this sort of attraction seldom goes without the negatives.  For many, Catherine was a source of envy, especially among the girls, some of whom were part of an elaborate scheme to tarnish her good image. Even some of the men who saw no chance of getting closer to her at times made up some not so nice stories about her.

Through all these Catherine has diligently kept a clean sheet, never one to be drawn into controversy or vindictiveness.  On more occasions than I can count, I have been called upon to defend the girl over unsubstantiated rumours involving a prominent Kenyan politician of high stature.  In fact I have always seen myself as the best placed person to know best in that regard, as the stories came out at the same time we were having my wedding preparations.  My then fiancée Mariam, came to me one day with the news and I told her to ask Kasav at the pre-wedding meeting that evening.

Catherine found the suggestion so outrageous and hilarious that she laughed herself to tears and then in what has always been my conviction that she was telling the truth quipped; “How I am so waiting for that phone-call. Daamn! We would all be financially sorted, then we wouldn’t need to raise funds for this wedding!” she added amid more laughter from everyone on the table.

Many will question my accuracy, when I say that Kasav can be a comedienne, and enjoys a good laugh.   During the partying days she would have all of us in stitches with her imitation of a market woman be it a Kikuyu or a Luo (Oh! Another thing is that Kasav is multi-linguist - she can, apart from English, French, Swahili and her mother-tongue Kimaragoli, speak Kikuyu, Kikamba, Ekegusii and Dholuo fluently.)

Catherine can dramatise at a drop of a hat.  She can mimic any accent she puts her mind on whether Western, Eastern or African. She is funny.  And if she wanted to she would be a master class entertainer.

But having said all that. She is a lady to boot etiquette et all. A fantastic mother and most probably the best wife she never was!

Truth about Catherine and Kanda Bongoman

I was also in the picture during the Kanda Bongoman saga.  I was part of the promotional team for the musical tour and had arranged for the New Stanley VIP Show tickets for the KTN team including Kasavuli and Kathleen Openda.  This was the show that was actually cancelled and Mr. Bongoman escorted to the airport that same evening.  We later established that it was a totally different lady involved. Later speaking to Fred Obachi Machoka also involved in the Kanda-tour, he confirmed that Mr. Bongoman had never met Kasavuli at the time of deportation.

Catherine Kasavuli deserves the recognition she has received from the Head of State and I am proud to have been associated with her. Kasav, am coming down soon I hope we shall have some time to catch up with that coffee date! Her ancestral home is in Tigoi, Vihiga District.

Kenya may not be a nation of haters, but they sure have a good number of gossipers.

Catherine has also told her story in one of East Africa’s top lifestyle magazines ‘True Love’ Issue No 39 (December 2007/January 2008)

Heeee efwe Abaluhya khuli Tsingwe!

Topi lyambila is a Documentary film maker based in London, currently editor of an online newspaper www.kenyalondonnews.co.uk .  He has known Ms Catherine Kasavuli as a personal friend and professional colleague for the past 24 years. Topi can be contacted by email at either editor@kenyalondonnews.co.uk or at topison@gmail.com

Ronald Elly Wanda

Ronald Elly Wanda is an East African writer and political scientist living and working in London.  Originally from Kabras in Western Kenya, his work which recurrently features in British, American and African press focuses mainly on political and socio-cultural issues concerning Africans including the diaspora. In addition to his cyclic television appearances as a commentator on African Affairs, he has also been Africa Editor for BEN television in London, focusing on the ‘Great Lakes Region’.

His associates are keen to emphasise that his tireless gusto on the need for Africa to unite and the need to speak for the voiceless mwanainchi (African) emanates from his well known pan-africanist grandfather, the celebrated professor Dani Nabudere. He was schooled at Stanmore, Southgate and later Middlesex where he earned degrees in Political and Development Studies. He is currently president of the Pan African Society also based in the UK and writes a regular column for the Eastern African Magazine.

Contacts:
GSM: +44(0)7957771247
TEL: +44( 0)207 485 3824
Email: ronald2wanda@yahoo.co.uk
England,
United Kingdom.

The rising star of Moses Mutuli

By Shad Bulimo, May 2 2008
What is the link between Hope in Arkansas, US and Lunza in Butere, Kenya? Not much one might think, but in the sleepy village of Lunza in Marama a star is rising to bring hope to his people. Just like Bill Clinton went on become the President of the Unites States after studying as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, Moses Murengu Mutuli is one exceptional Luhya that seems to carry the weight of destiny on his young shoulders.  

It is a job that seems well cut for him. Not only does he belong to the exclusive Ivy-league type Rhodes scholars of high achievers, Moses is in the final stages of qualifying as an actuarial scientist, a field that some say ranks higher than even nuclear physics. What actually is actuarial science, I ask? “Actuaries are experts in assessing long-term financial risks for companies and their skills have traditionally been used in the fields of insurance and pensions, but are increasingly moving also in the field of banking, “ says the unassuming Oxford graduate.

His long road to Oxford began at Eastleigh Secondary School in Nairobi where somehow, he developed a penchant for things mathematical. But it was at the University of Nairobi that his mathematical and analytical skills came to bloom. Besides scoring the highest marks to achieve a First Class Degree (BSc) in 2001, he was declared the Best Overall Student in the entire university for excelling in both academics and extra curricular activities. For that he was garlanded with the prestigious Gold Award.

To those who have more shall be added, so goes the biblical truism. And for Mutuli, the awards to recognise his talents avalanched to the point of embarrassment. This humble fellow who grew up in the tough Huruma Estate of Nairobi found himself in unfamiliar territory. Suddenly he was the toast of several recognitions. He won the Unilever Scholar of the Year award for being the best overall student in the Faculty of Science; the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi Trustee Fund award for the best student in the Faculty of Science and the Kenya-Re award for being the best student in Actuarial Mathematics (Dept. of Statistics).

Despite his rising stardom, Mutuli never forgets he was once a Womble.  The last born in a family of eight, his father, Zedekiah Mutuli died when he was just 11 in 1988 leaving the burden of fending for the family to his mother, Dinah who worked as a clerk in Nairobi’s industrial area. “There are days when we used to go hungry or feed on ugali and sukuma wiki for the whole month as my mother struggled to feed all eight of us on her meagre wages, “ he says.

God has been kind to us and things are beginning to brighten up for our family, he says. His eldest brother, Patrick Mutuli is now a successful lawyer in Nairobi and is married to Rosemary Anyango. Other siblings include: Nicholas Mutuli, Rebecca Alice (passed on in 2002), Sylvester Mutuli (married to Evelyn), Gladys Kenyatta (married to Ernest Kenyatta), Boniface Mutuli (married to Grace) and Frederick Mutuli.

Looking ahead, Mutuli says his immediate challenge is to help demystify the actuarial science in Kenya by setting up Society of Actuaries of Kenya to enlighten the public on the role and importance of actuaries. He says he takes great comfort in the fact that the government has already approved the setting up of a regulatory authority to regularize and harmonise this vital sector of the economy and to comply with accepted international standards.

“I would like to work in Kenya at some point and play a role in advancing the cause of actuaries,” says the keen footballer, whose heroes include goal keeping legends, Bruce Grobbelaar of Liverpool FC and Peter Schmeichel of Manchester United..  

Mutuli who now works at Deloitte and Touche in London as a Consultant in the Actuarial and Insurance Solutions department, says his working in Kenya is not only necessary but mandatory under the terms of his Rhodes scholarship. Mutuli is also active in community affairs. He is the chairman of Abeingo Youth Committtee where he has organized Youth Bonding and Sporting sessions.

There are only about six qualified actuaries in Kenya of which the leading one is James Olubayi, the chairman of Alexander Forbes Kenya, a subsidiary of Alexander Forbes South Africa. Mr Olubayi, also from Luhyaland was among Kenyan pioneers in this field having graduated from City University, London in early 1990s. Mutuli pays tribute to Olubayi for acting as a role model for him.

Truly and verily, many were called but few were chosen. Like biblical Moses, Moses Murenga Mutuli is one to watch. The burden of the community and the nation weighs him down but with faith and support, Moses promises to leave no stone unturned to achieve his dreams and deliver his people to the Promised Land.

CLICK HERE FOR MUTULI'S PROFILE | FEATURED IN NATION NEWSPAPER

Shikwati gets top global honours

By Kenneth Kwama, March 25 2008
At the beginning of this month, Mr James Shikwati got an unexpected call from the World Economic Forum (WEF). It was out of the blue. But that is how the founder of Inter Region Economic Network (IREN), an economic think tank, found out he was amongst the most influential young leaders in the world.

"Sometimes you work but you don’t know that other people are noticing. I was surprised, but also felt honoured to be mentioned amongst young global leaders," says Shikwati.

Shikwati was recognised for initiating, developing and driving innovative solutions on important global issues. Shikwati and Mr Mugo Kibati, CEO East African Cables are the only Kenyans in the list that also includes President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They joined 243 other leading executives, public figures and intellectuals chosen from around the world.

He has been facilitating forums for universities, farmers, policy makers and think tanks to inculcate entrepreneurship, market economics dynamics and awareness on topical issues to inform policy and attract investment.

Although well intentioned, Shikwati who partly crusades against giving of aid to Africa as a way to encourage self-sufficiency and eliminate poverty, has at times drawn ire from a cross section of the populace critical of his unorthodox approach.

Go-getter: If Africa is rich with minerals, oil and arable lands, why are we poor? Photo by Martin Mukangu

It means poverty is superficial and is a result of dependency on donor aid. I believe Africa has the potential, resources and human capital to attain self-sufficiency.

As a crusader of the unorthodox, Shikwati has had his share of great moments, including when his organisation was named amongst the leading 5080 think tanks worldwide for doing exceptional work bridging the gap between knowledge and policy.

He has also had his share of miserable ones, including when a member of the audience he was addressing in Basel, Switzerland in September 2006, demanded to know whether his prescription "wouldn’t take Africa to a steady economic slip off."

Stumbling blocks, according to Shikwati is something that successful crusaders sometimes have to go through. Although it still remains to be seen where his no aid to Africa will reach, the indefatigable man with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nairobi, has recorded so much successes in other fronts and in the course annihilated the difficult memories of an initial struggle to found IREN.

But who is Shikwati? And what makes him think an educationist like him does have the answers to Africa’s oldest, toughest and messiest economic problems?

Some of his contemporaries at the Kikuyu Campus say he was argumentative and bright, though not keen on student politics. But it was never enough to be the best. He had to push everything a little too far because he wanted to win the game and break the rules at the same time to show he was smarter than the guy who wrote the rules.

"The Government is not supposed to create jobs, but to make it easy for entrepreneurs to do that, expand and be able to employ people in large numbers," says Shikwati.

Despite such belieFS, Shikwati’s social skills can still be rated as average. He may forget to shake your hand when you meet him. His voice has one setting: calm and diplomatic and he has a habit of rocking back and forth his office chair while explaining what he considers critical.

Interviewing Shikwati is interesting, not because he’s a good talker, but because he has an uncanny ability to drive home his points. He doesn’t talk to you around and doesn’t spin. He always goes straight to the point.

The young Global Leader honours is bestowed each year by the WEF to recognise and acknowledge top young leaders worldwide for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.

The 2008 awardees included big names from the business world, governments, academia, media and society.

"The WEF is a true multi-stakeholder community of global decision-makers. We need the Young Global Leaders to be a voice for the future in the global thought process and as a catalyst for initiatives in the global public interest," said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

Drawn from a pool of almost 5000 candidates, the Young Global Leaders 2008 were chosen by a committee of 31 eminent international media leaders, including Thomas Glocer, CEO, Reuters, Arthur Sulzberger, Chairman and Publisher, the New York Times, and Robert Thomson, Publisher of the Dow Jones and Company and The wall

Street Journal.

Other individuals chosen for the title included Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Co-founders of Google, Crown prince Haakon of Norway, Malvinder M Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Ranbaxy Laboratories, India; Hiroshi Nakada, Mayor of Yokohama, in Japan.

"It is our belief that this community of committed individuals can actually change the status quo. They are not only a preview of what effective, collaborative leadership in the 21st Century might look like, they are actually putting it into practice today," said Mr David Aikman, Senior Director and Head of the Forum of Young Global Leaders.

It is our privilege to work with such inspirational leaders and to bring them together in a global network that builds their insights and skills even further, providing them with a global platform to tackle the key challenges of our generation."

Source: Standard