MUTULA KILONZO; A SIMPLE MAN

                        It takes a focused individual to confront a society that speaks and proclaims what it doesn't practise. It is an act of bravery and of moral and intellectual independence to stand for what is right. This is what characterised the late Senator Mutula Kilonzo. I won't dwell much on his past. Instead, I want to pick a few lessons from his life.

                         Mutula represented the common-man in a club of the who-is-who in Kenya. This is a rare trait. A quick look at his manner of talking explains much about this man from Mbooni. The man spoke the language of the street- that is- he tried all his best to shake off the pride that comes with getting university education in a society whose dreams of educational excellence has been cut by the jaws of poverty. Mutula didn't take 'advantage' of this as many of our compatriots have done to mislead and rob the populace.

                        He was a humanist thinker. He understood the implication of every word that comes out of his mouth. He remained an advocate of truth even when that seemed to play negatively on his pursuits. He defended the forgotten and stood by them. This is evidenced by his defence of the girls who were expelled from school for challenging a decision of the school administration to impose a dress code on them without their(girls) input. 

                        He remained simple and close to everybody. His choice of dresses speaks volumes on his beliefs and intellectual orientation. He chose to dress like any "other" guy outside there despite his financial capability. Some might argue that the man was "mean" to himself and thus chose to dress like that. Methinks this is not about meanness. It is about understanding the psychology of Wanjiku and Her compatriots. It is about demolishing the barriers associated with power and money. I mean he tried to make it easy for the common man and woman to understand him as a fellow human with nothing unique and supernatural than them.

                       With his death, I think it is incumbent upon all of us to celebrate his life and try to pick a lesson from his life. I find it appropriate for all of us to undertake a moral screening of ourselves and ask ourselves what will be remembered of us when we finally depart from this earth to our fixed abode in the after-world. This scanning, I believe,is the needed compass for all humans in order to achieve the universal love we all aspire to see. MAY THE GOOD LORD REST HIS SOUL IN ETERNAL PEACE.