Starehe Boys Centre alumni eulogise Kibra MP Ken Okoth

The late Kibra MP Ken Okoth. [File, Standard]

Former students of Starehe Boys Centre on Wednesday gathered at the school to eulogise the late Kibra MP Ken Okoth.

Known as the Old Staherian Society, the group which comprises former students reminisced their time spent with Okoth and lauded him as the glue that brought them together.

The late MP who died on Friday from colorectal cancer has been eulogised as a dedicated servant of the people who was the epitome of hope not just to his constituents but Starehe Boys Centre.

Ken, as he is fondly known, has been credited with revitalising the Old Staherian Society which in the recent years has collected Sh300 million.

Muratha Kinuthia, a Starehe alumnus said Ken called the old boys to a mbuzi feast five years ago and challenged them.

Back then they were only 100 of them in the society.

"It is him who made me sign up for the society and that is how I can stand here as the secretary of the society," he said.

Kinuthia said Ken was not obsessed with the trappings of power.

Whether an event was big or small, he would still show up.

Canute Waswa, an old friend said Ken was an astute debater and would save them when in trouble.

He cracked up the crowd when he revealed how Ken decided to run for a parliamentary seat, he had a tough time as his campaign manager.

"When you are campaign manager for a broke man, 90 per cent of the time you look for money," he said.

Luckily the Old Staherian Society came through for them.

The memorial service ceremony was attended by the former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, joined friends and family at Starehe Boys Centre.

Monica Okoth, the late MP's wife and his mother Angelina also attended.