Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has been honoured with the award of Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear. The Super Senator Sakaja was honoured as a recognition of his work in the legislature for the last 6 years he has been working as a civil servant.
Talking to his twitter Sakaja wrote saying, “I’m honoured and humbled to have received the award of Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear as a recognition of my legislative work over the last 6 years. I’m encouraged to do more and keep doing my best in service to my people and my country.”
I’m honored and humbled to have received the award of Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear as a recognition of my legislative work over the last 6 years. I’m encouraged to do more and keep doing my best in service to my people and my country 🇰🇪 pic.twitter.com/mSNfoiGz0i
— Sakaja Johnson (@SakajaJohnson) May 29, 2019
The award honours the most outstanding persons in recognition of outstanding or distinguished services rendered to the nation in various capacities and responsibilities.
The award is made by the president upon the advice of a National Honours and Awards Committee in the president’s office. Individuals are then nominated for awards by district committees, government ministries, religious organisations, non-governmental organisations, individuals and others
Sakaja has been working with the Jubilee government since the formation of The National Alliance Party(TNA) by President Uhuru Kenyatta where he was part of the founding parties later working as the chairman of the party.
Before then he started politics while still in the University of Nairobi where he vied for the Students Organisation of Nairobi University (SONU) and won.
Sakaja’s first engagement in national politics was in 2005, during the referendum. While using his position as the SONU Chairman, he mobilised the youth at the Referendum. Thereafter, he joined the former President Kibaki’s campaign team for 2007 elections starting off as a driver before eventually becoming the director of the Vijana na Kibaki lobby group.
He further made is major debut during the 2008 post-election crisis meeting where he gave his contribution on how to resolve the then crisis addressing President Mwai Kibaki’s Cabinet where he met President Kenyatta while he was working as the Minister for Local Government. He shortly moved to help with the formulation of the 2010 constitution where he took a lead role in the definition of constituency boundaries.
He later worked with Uhuru Kenyatta at the Ministry of Finance. Thereafter, he helped form The National Alliance (TNA) of which he became the Chairman at only 27, becoming the youngest Chairman of a ruling party in the world.
Sakaja has been vocal in matters youth empowerment through his various legislative initiatives, including the National Employment Authority Act which aims at addressing unemployment in Kenya by ensuring qualified Kenyans have easy access to jobs.
Apart from the Presidential award, Sakaja has also been with African Achievers Award as the African Change Maker for his outstanding role in the youth empowerment