Uhuru awards family members, Kanze Dena top honours
National
By
Winfrey Owino
| Jul 13, 2022
President Uhuru Kenyatta has awarded his nephew Jomo Gecaga and niece Nana Gecaga top State honours.
Jomo has been awarded the third-class recognition of the highest honour in Kenya – the Order of the Golden Heart.
He has been feted with the Moran of the Order of the Golden Heart (M.G.H.).
On the other hand, Nana Gecaga received second-class recognition under the third-highest honour – the Order of the Burning Spear.
She was awarded the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) alongside 31 others, including Eng. Stanley Kamau, the Director General of the Public Investments and Portfolio Management Directorate.
Both Jomo Gecaga and Nana Gecaga are children of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s sister, Jeni Wambui Gecaga.
Jomo Gecaga has served as President Uhuru Kenyatta’s personal secretary while Nana has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
Jomo received the top honours, MGH, alongside Ndung’u Paul Ndiritu, former State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita, Dr. Kihara Kennedy Waituika, Gakonyo Constance Wangui and Awori Florence.
Other notable names, who were feted with top honours, are State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena-Mararo, Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu, Supreme Court Judge Isaac Lenaola and Court of Appeal President Daniel Musinga.
The four were among the nine recipients of the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS), the first-class recognition under the second-highest honour in Kenya, the Order of the Burning Spear.
Other CBS recipients are Amb. Muchiri Anthony Mwaniki, Dr. Abdalla Faridun Suleiman, Nicholas Ng’ang’a, Dr. Jaffer Mohamed Hussein and Mbiuki Jasper Micheni.
Presidential awards are usually conferred in recognition of one’s efforts in serving the country. The National Honors and Awards Committee advises the Head of State on who to award the decorations and medals.
President Kenyatta announced the latest recipients of the top honours via a Gazette Notice, Number 8229 dated July 8, 2022.
A total of 328 Kenyans received the awards, with 180 of them being civilians.
Aga Khan University’s Medical School Dean Prof. Lukoye Atwoli, retired judge Mary Ang’awa, KNEC’s Chief Executive Officer David Njeng'ere and Media Council of Kenya CEO David Omwoyo received the third-class recognition award under the second-highest honour, the Order of the Burning Spear.
The four were awarded the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS).
Brigadiers Muracia Joseph Maina and Carolyne Mwende Mutisya were among the top military officers to receive the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS), a top medal under the Order of the Burning Spear.