Wambui Otieno passes on

I was a bit shocked to hear on news that Wambui Otieno died in Nairobi Hospital yesterday, she’s not been well with a heart problem. I came to know about her in 1987 with her case against Umira Kager clan over the burial of her husband the late Criminal Lawyer SM Otieno. It was a hot case because Wambui Otieno wanted to bury her husband on their land in Upper Matasia in Ngong Kajiado and the clan insisted it is against Luo Customs to bury a man away from his ancestral home, unless there was a written will.

Wambui Otieno tried her luck in Politics in North Kajiado and Kamukunji but was not successful. She made news again in 2003 with her controversial marriage to a young man Mbugua when she was 67 and Mbugua at 25 and said men have been marrying younger women and people say nothing about it but when women marry younger men it is news. By marrying Mbugua she was giving women the courage of marrying younger men publicly. After a few days of the marriage Mbugua’s mother died and it is believed it was as a result of the shock from her son’s marriage.

As much as this marriage may have been a way to get even with men who marry younger women and making history, I believe many mothers cannot allow their son’s to marry or live with an older woman especially with that big age gap. Wambui Otieno was not young and with her health she needed a helper but the choice was shocking. May be she also thought about what would happen to her after she dies, just like the case of her husband and imagined Umira Kager clan coming to claim the body of the wife of their son to bury in Nyalgunga in Siaya County? Now she can be buried on her Upper Matasia land where she wanted her husband to be buried because she was legally married to Mbugua in a civil wedding in 2003 and this year she had a Church wedding.

2012 race getting interesting

As we are nearing 2012 the year for Kenya next elections, candidates have started campaigns, political alliances like G7 have been formed, some presidential hopefuls have launched their bid and the most interesting part is that more and more presidential hopefuls are coming up. The list is long and still getting longer; we have PM Raila Odinga, MP Martha Karua, DPM Uhuru Kenyatta, VP Kalonzo Musyoka,MP William Ruto, MP Eugene Wamalwa, MP Mutava Musyimi, MP Wetangula, MP Bonny Khalwale, MP Najib Balala and many more Members of Parliament showing interest so far only one woman.

The Latest entrant in the race is former MP Raphael Tuju a very interesting candidate who is likely not to get much support from his own people. It would be interesting for trusted opinion polls like Infotrak and Synovate to tell us how much Tutu can get in Luo Nyanza first. May be things have changed with time and he is now sure of getting support. Opinion polls Company like Smart Octopus is not likely to give accurate information in such cases, they should instead get a real octopus.

It seems like every region has a representative or more and many more to come. It is an interesting game of serious candidates,haters, distracters, spoilers and mockers. What a show! (As Jeff Koinange of K24 says on his Bench), what a movie it will be come 2012. Kenyans are watching, this time it will be full of surprises and more drama, the Hague issue may also affect the race and the climax will be the ballot box where Kenyans will decide.

The show continues.

Amos Wako finally retires

The ever smiling long serving Attorney General of Kenya, who has served two Presidents, Daniel Arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki has finally retired after serving for over 20 years. A lot has been said about him mostly criticized and accused of being an anti-reformist, blamed for delay in constitution implementation and injustice but with all accusations one can never tell whether he is annoyed or happy because he is ever smiling.

Anti-reformist or not, biased or not, he served his masters devotedly, because they never complained about him and only extended his contract until we got a new constitution. Prof. Githu Muigai takes over from him.

Fare thee well Mr. Wako.

Kawethei accident victims condoled by RMS director

Bad accidents caused by bad driving and police allowing drivers/conductors who flout traffic rules to rule our roads. The latest accident in Mbooni in Eastern part of Kenya is the worst this year with 23 people dead and around 30 injured, the victims who were from paying dowry in Machakos were from Kawethei in Kagundo county are yet to be buried.

Government officials visited the injured in hospital, condoled the families and offered to foot hospital bills are burial expenses. Yesterday a service for the victims was held at a Catholic Church in Kangundo. It was very impressive to see Royal Media Services staff and Director participate and offered each family Kshs 75,000 and other donations. Royal Media Services is a media that is loved by many Kenyans for offering mostly local programs and radio stations of Kiswahili and other Kenyan vernacular. At least one can listen to their vernacular station anywhere in the Country unlike before when we could only get our vernacular stations when traveling to the rural areas.

I can say S. K. Macharia the Chairman for Royal Media Services is a leader who cares for the needs of other Kenyans and should be emulated by our leaders.