Kenya is yet to achieve what Tom Mboya stood for 52 years on, says family

On the grave of the late trade unionist, politician and statesman Thomas Joseph Mboya, popularly known as Tom Mboya, is a great message calling on folks to show humanity.

“Go and fight like this man who fought for mankind’s cause; who died because he fought whose battles are still unwon!” reads the epitaph on his tombstone, held up on either side by a marble stand.

His kin say this statement should have been a guiding mantra to all Kenyans who care about humanity, to all who believed in him, love their country Kenya and those who are motivated by his history.

Politicians in particular should have been motivated by his actions and achievements, but most of them have been doing exactly the opposite.

The Nation visited the late Mboya’s rural home and where his remains were interred about 52 years ago.

The road leading to Rusinga Island in Homa Bay County is rough, just like his life had been.

Mercifully, the Jubilee government has ensured well-tarmacked roads and Nyanza is one of the major beneficiaries.

The Kisii-Suneka-Rangwe-Rodi Kopany road, all the way to the Mbita bridge, is well-tarmacked and one enjoys a smooth ride marked by glimpses of serene hills, valleys and settlements around Lake Victoria.

The tarmac, however, ends at the Mbita bridge, a Sh1 billion project launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2017.

The bridge connects Mbita to Rusinga Island and residents here no longer have to use boats to cross to either side of the lake.

Past the bridge is a long rough road leading to the late Mboya’s mausoleum. The murram road has partly been destroyed by the heavy rains pounding the region.

The mausoleum lies on family land in Kamasengre village, Rusinga West, on the north side of the island, about seven kilometres by road from Mbita.

But once inside the mausoleum, a quiet environment reigns and the sense of tranquillity is overwhelming.

It is beautiful and neat. The late Mboya’s family said well-wishers and his friend helped to raise funds for its construction.

The mausoleum is open most days to visitors. It contains various souvenirs and gifts Mboya received during his life.

“There are plans to make it a national monument. Covid-19 has slowed the process, but we are hopeful that we will finalise that soon so that we can give our late brother the honour he deserved,” said Mboya’s younger brother, Mr Paul Ndiege, who is the curator at the mausoleum.

Mr Ndiege receives dozens of visitors who tour the place every day to know more about the great trade unionist.

He says the mausoleum was built two years after Mboya’s assassination.

When Kenya gained independence in 1963, Mboya joined the Cabinet as minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs in Jomo Kenyatta's government, where he played a predominant role in the affairs of his country until his assassination in July 1969.

“Mboya’s success and plans for continued modernisation were cut short in 1969 by an assassin tied to the then government of President Jomo Kenyatta, a former political ally whom he later accused of corruption and graft,” said Mr Ndiege.

He says though Mboya, fondly known as Tom, was a leading light in Kenya’s struggle for independence, a pioneer trade unionist as well as a civil rights champion, there is nothing much to celebrate for the 39 years he lived and the sacrifice he made for Kenyans.

“It is not yet Uhuru! There is nothing much to celebrate 52 years after his death. The things he fought for are the ones ailing the country now. His anniversary on every July 5 is just a reminder that citizens are yet to enjoy the fruits of independence,” said Mr Ndiege.

He adds, “One thing that Tom fought for and that we achieved is Kenya becoming a republic. As we read from what is written on Tom’s grave, he fought to end bad governance, corruption, tribalism, nepotism and all that. If you look at the current state of our republic and government, none of the above vices has been tamed. What Tom basically stood for has not been achieved.”

Mboya coordinated an “airlift” of 81 Kenyan students to colleges in the United States.

With the help of the African-American Students Foundation and its sponsors, Mboya raised sufficient funds to cover the students’ travel expenses.

In a November 8, 1959 letter, Mboya explained: “Nothing constitutes a greater contribution to the struggle against poverty, disease and political subjection in Africa more than the contribution made toward our peoples’ educational advancement.”

“In his last years alive, Mboya worked to lay the foundation for an active Kenya African National Union and was instrumental in ushering in independence for Kenya in 1963. He was an outspoken critic of corruption and in July 1969, he was assassinated at the age of 39,” said Mr Ndiege.

The family plans to mark his 52nd death anniversary on July 5, as Mr Ndiege says, in total adherence to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We will hold his anniversary here. This is a ceremony we love as a family. It brings together his friends and many people of goodwill,” said Mr Ndiege.

Next to the grave is the burial chamber, constructed in 1971. It is the shape of the silver bullet believed to have ended the life of the former Cabinet minister.

Inside it is a briefcase Mboya had when he was shot. The black fly whisk the youngest minister in the first Cabinet of 27 after independence carried to political functions is also displayed in the mausoleum.

The national flag that draped the casket is also tucked in the mausoleum. Also on display is a certificate that made Mboya an honorary citizen of Kansas City in the US in 1966.

Also preserved is a black nameplate, a souvenir from the Chinese Government, that stood on the minister’s desk.

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