Poverty could not stop ambitious Maraga from achieving his dreams

Kisii Boys High School Principal Caspar Maina peruses Designate Chief Justice David Maraga's school file where he was mentioned a quiet but active boy who was a peaceful member of the school between 1972 and 1973. Maraga wa appointed as CJ on Thursday and his nomination is expected to be debated in parliament for approval. PHOTO: STANLEY ONGWAE/STANDARD

Justice David Maraga, the Chief Justice nominee, could have been nowhere near the corridors of justice were it not for his resilience and support from loving brothers, some of whom sacrificed their own education to pay his school fees.

Tales of a young David trekking through bushy footpaths in poverty-ravaged villages to go to school at an early age paints a picture of a man who had a resolve to achieve his dreams at whatever cost.

As the Bonyamatuta village reverberated with song and dance over Maranga’s nomination for the Judiciary’s top job, his age-mates and former schoolmates remembered him as a devoutly religious lanky boy who always ensured his team won village football matches.

His elder brothers James Ochengo, 67, and Thomas Barake, 70, described him as someone with big dreams.  His parents are both deceased. His father died in 1973, a year after David joined high school, while his mother died in 1998.

In 1989, Justice Maraga relocated to Nakuru where he still lives with his family.

While Barake had no stable job, Ochengo who was a policeman, would play the larger part in helping out their younger brother through school.

Records at the Kisii Boys High School, then known as Kisii Secondary School, list Barake as David’s guardian.

“Justice Maraga’s childhood story is that of an ambitious young boy who could not be pulled back from achieving his dreams by abject poverty in his family,” says Ochengo.

He and his siblings would often walk home for lunch, only to find no meal and return to school hungry.  Ochengo says it was a difficult childhood shaped by strong Christian values.  Maraga was baptised and received to the Seventh Adventist Church while in primary school at Sironga.

Values not changed

Former West Mugirango MP Benson Kegoro, who was the Kisii School headteacher during Maraga’s time, said Maraga’s  values have not changed over time.

Mr Kegoro described him as a young man who was very intelligent, but always cool and a favourite of many teachers.

“As his headteacher, there is no day I ever witnessed a case against Maraga. In fact he was one pupil with a distinguished character among the hundreds of children we handled. And that is how he stood out every year as a class prefect,” Kegoro remembered.

After completing primary school, Ochengo had to drop his ambition of pursuing secondary education to become a teacher. He was recruited as a policeman to enable his younger brother pursue his dreams.

“You see, we were all ambitious and wanted to become important people but because of poverty, I  applied for a job in the police service, which enabled me to pay his fees at Maranda High School and then at Kisii School where he sat his A-level before joining the University of Nairobi for a degree in law,” said Mr Ochengo.

Benson Nyakundi, his cousin remembers  how they would  often walk, eat and work together.

 “We used to herd our fathers’ goats together as well as walk together to church and collect firewood for our mothers,” said Mr Nyakundi.

Maraga’s  record at Kisii School spoke for itself, according to principal Caspar Maina. He said Maraga’s file — admission number 2946 — was clean and believes it prophesised  the person he would become.

“The Justice is described as a quiet but active student in class. He was a member of the school’s debating club. He regularly donated blood and above all, he was a peaceful member of the school. He steered clear of controversy,” said Mr Maina.

Nyamira Governor John Nyagarama, who grew up as village friends with Maraga, yesterday congratulated him for emerging the best among his peers.

Bigger things

“I knew long ago that he was headed for bigger things. From our childhood, I recognise Maraga as a workaholic, honest and a God-fearing man,” said Mr Nyaragama.

Mr Boaz Owino, the senior Principal at Maranda High School in Siaya County, where Maraga sat his East African Certificate of Secondary Education (EACSE) exam in 1971, said according to records, Maraga was a bright but reserved student.

Nyamira Senator Kennedy Okong’o,  from the same locality, described Maraga as his role model. “He influenced good behaviour among the youth in the village. His missionary work in the village has made a big impact,” said Okong’o.