Newsmakers, heroes of year 2017

**Chief Justice David Maraga and former IEBC Commissioner Roselyn Akombe**

In the year full of drama, heroism, scandals, high profile deaths and loaded with non-stop politics, the Standard looks back at those who captured Kenya’s attention beyond the usual names like NASA leaders like Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka or President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.

What is undisputed, however, is Chief Justice David Maraga was in a class of his own after the Supreme Court under his leadership did the unthinkable by being the first in Africa to nullify a presidential election.

Roselyn Akombe

Woman of the year

Her exit from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) can be described as the resignation of the year. For several months Dr Roselyn Akombe, a holder of a Kenyan and US passports was the face of the commission acting as the spokesperson in the eye of a storm. However, with just week left to the October 26 repeat presidential election, Akombe fled to New York where she had taken an unpaid leave from the UN to work in Kenya and announced she had resigned from the commission.

In a tersely written statement she said the repeat election would not meet the basic expectations of credibility and fairness. “The commission in its current state can surely not guarantee a credible election on October 26. I do not want to be party to such a mockery to electoral integrity,” she said. It is her resignation that lifted the lid on what was being whispered by Kenyans about the split in the commission and its infiltration by political players. For, this she easily qualifies to be woman of the year.

David Maraga

Man of the year

If there is anyone who put Kenya on the global map this year without running a marathon it is Chief Justice David Maraga. Praised by many for ruling against the man who appointed him when it mattered most, President Uhuru Kenyatta, Maraga restored the faith of Kenyans in the independence of the Judiciary.

Seen as a man of principle and conviction, a symbol of integrity and virtue, the Chief Justice has shown that he is a brave man when he led the Supreme Court in nullifying President Kenyatta’s win in August. The Chief Justice who during his interview for the job raised a bible and swore he had never taken a bribe easily qualifies to be man of the year.

Tasked to head the IEBC in a baptism on fi re, the chair of the commision had one of the most di? cult jobs in 2017. With political operatives from NASA and Jubilee constantly on his neck, there was little breathing space for the man from Bungoma who once aspired to be a politician.

Leading a divided IEBC did not help things either after it emerged that the commission had been infi ltrated by political wheeler dealers. The end result was an election that was nullified by the Supreme Court. The repeat election had to be done in di? cult circumstances, with one of the candidates boycotting.

Charity Ngilu, Anne Waiguru and Joyce Laboso

After being in the cold for more than a year following removal from government over corruption allegations Charity Ngilu and Anne Waiguru made a comeback. The two together with Dr Joyce Laboso made history after being elected the fi rst women governors since the advent of devolution.

They beat their competitors by a huge margin with Laboso being elected Bomet Governor, Ngilu- Kitui and Waiguru- Kirinyaga. But while Ngilu and Laboso had an advantage of being politicians, Waiguru was baptized by fi re after her initial intention to run for governor in Nairobi failed spectacularly when her detractors fl ashed the NYS scandal card. Laboso has declined to be addressed as your ‘your excellency’ while Waiguru added another feather to her cap after she was elected Council of Governors deputy chair last week. On the other hand Ngilu has hit the ground running with food projects in her county

His fall from being one of Kenya’s most admired men to one of the most unwanted was spectacular. And it only took a bungled election, a nullification by the Supreme Court and a nasty blame game between him and the commission.

Both the chair of the IEBC Wafula Chebukati and former commissioner Roselyn Akombe blamed him for the mistakes that saw the presidential election nullified, and for frustrating the commission’s e orts to prepare a fresh credible election. Some blamed him for being the leader of a parallel centre of power in the commission whose strings were being pulled by State House. He eventually opted not to playing key role in the October 26 poll.

Fatuma Dullo, Susan Kihika and Margret Kamar

In a House whose membership through elections has since the inception of devolution been a private men’s club, Fatuma Dullo, Susan Kihika and Margaret Kamar were the first women to be elected at the ballot.

All the female Senators in the 2013-2017 period came through the 47 nominated seats set aside for women. In the August election, Ms Kihika won Nakuru Senate seat with 641,533 votes, Prof Kamar beat four men to become Uasin Gishu Senator with 229,724 votes while Ms Dullo won in Isiolo by 14,706 votes.

The constitutional role of the Senate is to provide an effective bridge between Counties and the national government through contributing to the realisation of the constitutional commitments and obligations.

He died in a horrifi c road accident on November 7, barely three months in o? ce as Nyeri Governor. A guard rail tore through the Mercedes Benz he was travelling in at Kabati, cutting through his body in a fatal trip to Nairobi for a talkshow. His death made big news because he was the second Nyeri Governor to die in office, after the death of Nderitu Gachagua in February. No other county has lost a governor or deputy.

The fall out of the man who caused the term ‘tenderpreneur’ make its way into Kenyan English lingo with the Jubilee government which he helped form in 2013 was as dramatic as it was legendary. A well connected billionaire, Jimmy Wanjigi has for the last decade been at the centre of high level political games.

Not one to shy from controversy, Wanjigi took his billions and support to NASA which caused the state to react with vengeance. He was put under ‘house arrest’ after police laid a siege at his home in Lavington, Nairobi for hours.

Picked to head the Interior Ministry in a hurried appointment after the death of Joseph Nkaiserry, the self-proclaimed ‘enkororo’ (Kisii warrior) has impressed and angered in equal measure. Loved for his ability to get things done and hated for rubbing people the wrong way when executing his duties, there is no one who has crossed Dr Fred Matiangi’s path without escaping his wrath.

During the electioneering period, he did not hesitate to reduce NASA leaders Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka’s security detail when he felt they were becoming a thorn in the fl esh of the administration.

He has been criticised for defending police for using excesive force on opposition supporters. Mating’i who is the Education Cabinet Secretary has been lauded for initiating reforms in the education sector. As a person who gets things done, KCPE and KCSE results were announced ahead of time for the second year running.

**The late MAJ GEN (RTD) Joseph Nkaissery**

His sudden demise in July added to the list of high profi le deaths this year and for several weeks there was speculations on what could have killed the General. A stickler for good work ethic, the rule of law and living healthy Kenyans could not simply believe that he could die of a heart attack. Even worse, his death came just weeks to a highly divisive election and the opposition took advantage of this to drive their agenda with theories of foul play.

A six-hour postmortem conducted by a team of pathologists led by chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor however concluded that the Interior Cabinet Secretary suffered a massive heart attack in his house that killed him instantly

Mary Mokaya

The 14-year-old girl paid with her life after she took it upon herself to rescue colleagues from an inferno that razed down a dormitory at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi. She sustained 66 per cent burns and succumbed to her injuries at the Kenyatta National Hospital intensive care unit. Her family was devastated by the sudden departure but was not surprised by their daughter’s brave gesture because she had always been a kind and caring soul.

The top candidate in this year’s KCPE examinations has been described by many as an inspiration beyond national exams. The girl has albinism, a congenital disorder that affects the skin and eyes, making it di? cult to see. Her teachers at St Anne Junior Lubao said she braved long spells of poor health due to the condition to remain a top performer throughout her primary education.

Eliud Kipchoge

The Olympic champion has had a spectacular year winning eight out of the nine races he has participated in. British newspaper ‘The Guardian’ has already christened the 31-yearold Kenyan who also takes his turn to clean toilets while at the training camp in Iten as the greatest marathoner of all time.

The athlete who hails from Kapsesiyua in Nandi County is also one of the most studied by human body scientists. This is after he attempted and almost managed to run a full marathon in under two hours in May. Before then the fastest anyone had ever run a marathon was 2:02:57 and sports manufacturer Nike spent millions of dollars to see if a human being can run under two hours through a campaign dubbed ‘Breaking 2.’ Kipchoge missed this by just 26 seconds but it still made him the fastest marathoner of all time.

**Sportpesa** **Mega Jackpot Winner Samuel Abisai**

A phone call by Sportpesa CEO Ronald Karauri on the night of May 1 to tailor and salesman Samuel Abisai gave Kenya the first person to win real mega money in a country crazed with betting. Abisai who only used Sh200 to place the winning bet won the jack pot of Sh221 million.

Aged only six months when she died after police broke into their house in Nyalenda slums Kisumu and clobbered her, she has become the face of pain, tears, sorrow and anguish of police brutality in Kenya.

Her death at the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu five days after slipping into a coma caused a major uproar at home while capturing the attention of the World. Police denied that they used excessive force in battling protesters, including in this case where they broke into Pendo’s home where she and her mother were reportedly sleeping.