A four-year delay in setting up a council to identify and reward modern day heroes and heroines has left thousands of them at the mercy of faceless and possibly subjective state bureaucrats for recognition.
Hundreds of deserving heroes and heroines in scholarship, arts, liberation, sports, philanthropy, human rights, conservation, peace-making, entrepreneurship and cohesion-building are passing off unnoticed as politicians, their families and their acolytes suck up the few national honours available.
So far, over 600 heroes and heroines have been honoured since 2014 when the National Heroes Act was enacted. Their identification however remains a mystery since the government has failed to establish the body legally mandated to carry out such work, the National Heroes Council.
Last year during the Mashujaa Day celebrations, President Uhuru Kenyatta promised the formation of the Council to not only identify the heroes but also come up with solutions to issues of welfare and support for the greats.
“As we reflect on our Mashujaa Day, my administration acknowledges that we must correctly identify and recognise our heroes and heroines… I wish to announce that we plan to shortly establish a Heroes’ Council,” he said.
Sports and Heritage Cabinet Secretary is the one supposed to set up the Council. Yesterday, the ex-CS who presided over most of the delay, Hassan Wario, was charged in court on matters relating to his former docket.
Mau Mau Freedom Fighter Dedan Kimathi’s grandson chained himself 2 his grandpas monument in protest of neglect http://t.co/0RcRI7XfLB #kenya
— EMPⒶTHY (@MrNikoG) June 10, 2014
Under the law, the Council’s work is more than identifying heroes. They are supposed to originate policy relating to heroes, establish and oversee management of a national heroes square, oversee design of appropriate commemorative items, administer state assistance to heroes and manage properties relating to heroes.
Also, the Council is tasked with enforcing sanctions against disgraced heroes, maintaining a register of Kenyan heroes and their dependents, carrying out comparative studies on honouring of heroes and conducting public awareness and education on heroism.
With the iconic Prof Ouma Muga, the freedom fighter. Its Only in Kenya where heroes & senior citizens are neglected to a level of inability to feed themselves. Its sad that Prof Muga who did so much for the 2nd liberation lives on handouts from the public! pic.twitter.com/pMaF9DZxIz
— Joseph Lister Nyaringo (@ListerNyaringo) April 3, 2018
A separate entity — National Heroes Fund — run by a board of trustees is also yet to be founded four years later. The fund is supposed to be used for the benefit of national heroes and their dependents who are need of assistance.
Without the benefit of the Council, the State has resorted to media reportage and events to identify and declare heroes, contrary to the law. In addition, the manner of the honours is haphazard and arbitrary.
Some of the modern day heroes and heroines may include Eliud Kipchoge and Beatrice Chepkoech, who shattered world records in marathon and 3,000 metres steeplechase, respectively.
“Sarah Sarai was a pioneer nurse in Kenya, women’s leader, human rights advocate and freedom fighter. … Sarai was born on November 3, 1913 at Kinoo, Kiambu County…”https://t.co/c5JVTvzBkY
— M. (@MorrisKiruga) October 20, 2018