Kenya's poorer as former First Lady's body arrives

LUCY KIBAKI

When she left the country through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, last week, former First Lady Lucy Kibaki must have had high hopes of restored health and renewed spirit.

By taking her to Bupa Cromwell Hospital in South West London, the family, led by her husband former President Kibaki, was taking the next big leap of faith in her recovery.

Like any loving family, they looked forward to more days of felicity in old age, laughter, play and reminisce of days gone by.

But today at the crack of dawn aboard Kenya Airways, she arrives back at JKIA draped in a coffin.

No one would have imagined that the angel of death would have trooped down to snatch an eventful life of a hitherto village girl so far away from her land of birth. No one.

As for the old man, Kibaki, crest-fallen he returns.

He left as a husband but he returns a widower. The children who accompanied her, they return motherless. And the country is poorer without her.

Such is the conundrum of life and its negation death; of joys intertwined with grief, victories swallowed up in defeats.

As she begins the long and lonesome walk into eternity, Kenyans begin the long walk to immortalise her through her works, strong family values, joys and service.

Hers is a story of exaltation - from a village girl to a First Lady in an important period of the country’s history. From a daughter of a low ranking clergyman to the wife of a prominent politician under whose watch the country made significant political and economic strides.

Her entry into State House as the spouse of the President in 2002 revolutionised the status and place of the First Lady to fit into modern demands. Her role would not be confined to following the President around, hosting dignitaries and cat-walking into national celebrations. Instead, Mama Lucy folded up her sleeves and tossed her tenacious self into national campaigns targeting vulnerable groups like children, girls, women and HIV/AIDs victims.

From her vantage position in State House, she staunchly stood for and fought for these groups, sometimes against Kibaki’s wishes.

When the Sachagwan fire tragedy occurred, she cast away officialdom and political courtesies to the winds and stood with the victims. In doing so, she publicly scalded a senior government official and a friend of the family, former Internal Security minister George Saitoti.

When she traveled to Samburu and saw an able woman leader in a community mobiliser Maison Leshoomo, she pushed hard until she was nominated to Parliament.

She went round the country talking to young girls and clashed with government agencies on distribution of condoms to youngsters especially students.

As human, Mama Lucy had her flaws. We will never know what pushed her to those limits for we will never be in her shoes. As the grieving nation picks up these lessons, one thing is however sure; that on earth she will be remembered more for her rights than the wrongs.

For the good deeds belong to the world. The wrongs are the business of the hereafter and the mighty judge.