Tragic Month

This month is full of tragedies and especially this week. First I will pay tribute to our departed National hero Mr. Martin Shikuku who succumbed to cancer. He will be remembered for being a humble Kenyan who fought for liberation of Kenyans. It will also be remembered that he prepared for his death years back, by preparing his grave and that of his wife and also two coffins. His coffin is a simple one compared to expensive coffins used to bury great people like him. He knew that his community feasts in burials so he kept bulls and declared 4 will be slaughtered in his burial.

RIP. MR. MARTIN SHIKUKU

On the same day it was also announced that the wife of the Late Minister Michuki (who died this year) also died at the same hospital of cancer. Many prominent Kenyans have been affected by cancer, some have managed to get treated before it is too late like health ministers Prof. Anyang Nyongo and Hon Beth Mugo but for some it was too late like in the case of Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai.

Other tragedies that happened this week:

Clashes between members of Orma and Pokomo communities in Tana River where at least 52 people were killed. It is very sad to see clashes start when we are preparing to go for elections, and very bad if it is political as suspected.

The tragic death of 8 girls at St Theresa’s Asumbi Girls boarding primary school was also a shocker. It was so inhuman of the Sisters at the Catholic School to lock the girls in the dormitories and a good move for the Minister of Education Hon. Mutula Kilonzo to sack top Education officials in Homa Bay District because it was their duty to inspect schools and ensure Government policies are implemented.

It is also in this month of August that 13 women of PCEA Thika Church perished in a road accident in Tanga on their way to Dar-Es-salaam, it was very sad to loose many mothers. This was another of the many road accidents that have happened lately.

It is a belief that what we confess will happen, many of us believe that August is a bad month because of tragedies and prominent leaders who died in August like the first President Jomo Kenyatta and it has proved to be so. We need to view this month in a different way to change the situation.