Leaders picked for top honours during Kenya@50 celebrations

By Alphonce Shiundu

Nairobi, Kenya: Former presidents and top politicians are listed for decoration as the “most influential Kenyans” on December 12 when the country marks the Golden Jubilee.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his late father, Jaramogi Odinga, widely considered the father of opposition politics, are also lined-up for recognition for their role in shaping the country over the last 50 years. The list that is, however, subject to public endorsement.

Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai and veteran opposition politician Martin Shikuku, will be honoured posthumously as some the country’s “most influential Kenyans”, according to a list of the Parliamentary Honours Advisory Committee.

Also named is ailing opposition politician Kenneth Matiba who was key in the struggle for multiparty democracy.

Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro will be feted twice when Kenya marks 50 years of independence on December 12. Ethuro will get the national honours as the Elder of the Golden Heart, and will also be named as one of the “most influential Kenyans” in the country’s half-a-century of self-rule.

Shaping destiny

Ms Martha Karua, a former Cabinet minister, MP and presidential contender in the last General Election, is the only woman alive who in the list. Karua has been nominated for her influence in shaping the country’s destiny in its 50 years of independence.

Under the National Honours Act, each of the three arms of government—the Executive, Parliament and the Judiciary—have special teams to recommend to the President outstanding officers for “official recognition, decoration, status or award”.

When the President confers such awards, he does so “in the name of the people and the republic” as prescribed under Article 132(4)(c) of the Constitution.

Retired presidents Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki–Kenya’s second and third Presidents respectively—will also be recognised for their contribution in leading the country to its Golden Jubilee.

Moi ruled for 24 years after the death of the founding President Jomo Kenyatta in 1978. Kibaki succeeded Moi in 2002 and steered the country to economic prosperity. Kibaki was controversially declared the winner in the polls and went ahead with the massive infrastructural development.

He handed over the reins of power to his godson, Uhuru Kenyatta, on April 9, 2013. Uhuru, is the son of the founding President.

Abdikadir Mohammed, has also been nominated for the award of “most influential Kenyans”.

Mohammed, currently, a Senior Advisor to the President on Legislative and Constitutional Affairs in the President’s Executive Office, was the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee that delivered the country’s new Constitution. He was also the chairman of the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee, which monitored the implementation of the Constitution between 2010 and 2013, when his term as Mandera Central MP ended.

Peter Oloo Aringo, who is credited with coming up with the law to set up the Parliamentary Service Commission to boost the independence of the Legislature, will also get the “most influential Kenyan” award at the Jamhuri Day celebrations. Aringo was picked by MPs to represent their interests in the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

Voice of reason

Nyandarua Senator Muriuki Karue, the architect of the Constituency Development Fund, has also been nominated for his role of taking development to the grassroots.

Former Speakers Kenneth Marende and Francis ole Kaparo will also get their day in the sun at the Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Marende was the voice of reason when he steered the deeply divided Tenth Parliament through a tumultuous five-year term. He was also the one under whose tenure the august House midwifed and approved the Constitution and submitted it to the people for a referendum. He’s remembered for wise rulings and the multimillion modernisation project of Parliament’s debating chambers.

Kaparo, is the Speaker who balanced the interests of MPs with the interests of the Executive at a time when doing so was tantamount to treason. It is also under Kaparo’s tenure that the PSC was formed, clearly entrenching the doctrine of separation of powers.

Kaparo and Marende have all been cited as “the most influential Kenyans”.

Interestingly, all the members of the Parliamentary Honours Advisory Committee are in the list of national honours, a situation that is likely to stoke queries about conflict of interest.

The Senate Speaker, the National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, their respective clerks Jeremiah Nyegenye and Justin Bundi; the deputy Speakers Joyce Laboso (National Assembly) and Kembi Gitura (Senate) are also in the list. The Speaker’s will get the Elder of Golden Heart; their deputies and the clerks will be awarded Moran of the Golden Heart.