UNSUNG HEROES OF KENYAN HISTORY

By Greg Adero

A hero is not necessarily a winner. He or she might not be the beneficiary of his efforts. He could be a looser and a reject but the courage he takes to approach issues that other men are afraid of makes him be called so.
Most Kenyans have lived to appreciate and enjoy Kenya’s political developments when it comes to democracy, freedom of speech and human rights protection. But the fact remains that men behind these developments still remain unnoticed. These are great people who ensured Kenya remained Kenya especially during the first three decades of independence.
Rtd. C.G.S Gen. Mahmoud Mohammed.

He was the Chief of General Staff during the attempted coup of 1st August 1982 against Moi government. By then, Moi was in Kabarak when Senior Private Ochuka became the president for six hours. Mahmoud together with the General Service Unit (GSU) managed to neutralize the rebellious forces. He managed to correct the earlier message in KBC that the government had been overthrown. Again he gave strongest security to Moi from Kabarak to Nairobi. Without his intelligence, there would be more bloodshed.

Timothy Murere Njoya

He is a clergy with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. When we talk about democracy and Multipartysm in Kenya, Njoya should not be left behind. He was the first

Kenyan to demand publicly for multiparysm during Moi’s rule on 1st January 1990. No one had the courage to do that to KANU government but Njoya set a base for other clergy such as Rev. Henry Okulu and Bishop Alexander Muge to push for political pluralism. He was among the victims of Saba Saba merciless beating in the process.

Bildad Kagia

Kagia was a freedom fighter with the Mau Mau but he did not go silent after independence. Afer realizing that Kenyatta government had betrayed the freedom fighters especially on land issue which they fiercely fought for. He was not satisfied by the implementation of Sessional Paper NO 10 of 1965 and therefore resigned as a Member of Parliament of Kandara arguing that he could not forget people that elected him on the definite pledges or forget the freedom fighters who gave what they had including their land which was enjoyed by everybody. He is one of the few politicians who have ever resigned voluntarily without pressure.



Kenneth Matiba

He shed his blood, tears and even sweat for Kenya. He lost his resources in the fight for the country. He began his political career as a member of parliament for Mbiri, served as a permanent secretary for commerce in Kenyatta Government, Minister for health, Transport and Communication in Moi Government. His troubles begun in 1990s when he started to become vocal on Multypartism. He is among those who organized and attended the outlawed Saba Saba Rally at Kamkunji grounds on 7th July 1990 to push for multi party system. He was arrested, detained without trial and tortured. The torture at Kamiti left Matiba with health problems to date. However his call for multipartism was answered and we now all enjoy it.

Koigi Wamwere

Koigi Wamwere left the University in the United States at the age of 21 to come back and fight for political impunity in Kenya. As a youth, he dared point a finger at Jomo Kenyatta – an act that sent him to prison for 13 years. He continued to criticize KANU’s dictatorial nature to an extent that he shaved his dreads when Moi’s era came to an end in 2002.
When Ugandans decide to vote Museveni for the fifth term, it is because they know how far Museveni have brought them. From Iddi Amin Dada to Milton Obote. From Political instability and anarchy to peace and economic development. When Rwandans give their Kagame a third term, it is because they remember how Kagame have reconstructed and united Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. But to Kenyans, what are we doing to our heroes apart from reading them in books?