Mashujaa Day: President Ruto to fete 142 Kenyans
Principal Secretary for the State Department for Culture and Heritage Ummi Bashir addresses the media at her Upperhill office on October 17, 2024.
What you need to know:
- The Ministry said those to be feted, including some posthumous, have been grouped into 14 categories.
A final list of names of persons confirmed as qualified to be declared as heroes has since been forwarded to the President for declaration in the Kenya Gazette.
President William Ruto is expected to fete at least 142 Kenyan heroes and heroines during this year’s Mashujaa Day being celebrated in Kwale County on Sunday, October 20, 2024, after a local foundation failed to secure an order to bar their decoration.
Safiri Salama Preservation Foundation had filed a case in court seeking to stop the naming of at least 130 heroes during the celebrations.
In its suit where it listed the National Heroes Council and the Attorney General as the respondents, the Foundation argued that numerous “ordinary folks” who are “largely nondescript” were on the list of honour.
But the Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage said the critique had been raised after the two-week time frame allowed had elapsed.
The Ministry said those to be feted, including some posthumous, have been grouped into 14 categories.
Principal Secretary in the State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage Ms Ummi Bashir said the categories are; liberation freedom, sports, peacemaking, spiritual leadership, philanthropy, human rights, national cohesion and integration, cultural values and practices as well as arts.
Others are; scholarships, environmental conservation, indigenous knowledge, entrepreneurship and industry and statesmanship.
“The National Heroes Council under the Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage is tasked with identifying and recommending national heroes and during this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kwale we are going to honour some 142 heroes and heroines including some posthumously,” Ms Bashir said.
The PS said that on receipt of the nomination, the Council evaluates the nomination in accordance to a criterion provided for in the First Schedule of the Kenya Heroes Act, No. 5 of 2014.
The names of all proposed persons are then published in at least two newspapers of national circulation for members of the public to provide their representations, she said.
“The nominees are people who have made various contributions and undertaken exemplary acts to change lives for the benefit of the society where they live. In most instances, they have risked their lives for the benefit of communities and their actions may have been recognized globally,” added the PS.
A final list of names of persons confirmed as qualified to be declared as heroes has since been forwarded to the President for declaration in the Kenya Gazette.
The Heroes Fund was established in 2014 and is currently awaiting the development of regulations necessary to operationalize it.
Once activated, the Fund will accord financial assistance to the heroes in need of financial assistance plus their dependents. Last year, a total of 157 heroes were awarded.
“Apart from the normal certificates and recognition, we owe it to our heroes and we are looking at activating the National Heroes Fund which should be able to support them and their families,” said Ms Bashir.
Culture and Heritage Principal Secretary disclosed they will be activating the National Heroes Fund to ensure that the identified men and women get preferential treatment in the country.
Some of the persons expected to be honoured during this year’s celebrations in Kwale County include; Gen. (Rtd) Daudi Tonje and Gen. (Rtd) Mohamud Haji Mohamed for their sterling performance in the military and acts of statesmanship.
Tonje who served as Chief of General Staff of the Kenya Defense Forces between 1996 and 2001 is celebrated for introducing significant reforms to the military, particularly the ‘Tonje Rules.’
These rules established regulations regarding leadership terms, retirement age and other structural reforms that professionalised the military.
One of the key reforms under Tonje’s leadership was setting a four-year term limit for the Chief of General Staff and streamlining the military promotion system.
His contributions have had a lasting impact on Kenya’s defense sector.
Gen. Mohamud on the other hand was Deputy Commander Kenya Army from 1979 to 1981.
On 1 August 1982, he commanded Kenyan military and police forces in a successful suppression of a coup against then President of Kenya Daniel Arap Moi.
The putsch had been staged by a group of low-ranking military officers led by Senior Private Hezekiah Ochuka, who was later found guilty of five overt acts and sentenced to death by hanging.
Mohamud would remain the Chief of General Staff of the Kenya Defense Forces for the next ten years.
Those to be honoured posthumously include; Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi Waciuri and Myanzi “Mekatilili” wa Menza for their liberation struggle, as well as five MPs who perished in a plane crash on April 10, 2006, while on a peace mission in Marsabit.
The MPs who perished in the plane crash and who will be feted at Mashujaa Day on Sunday included Bonaya Godana, Mirugi Kariuki, Abdi Tari Sasura, Guracha Galgallo and Titus Ngoyoni.
Anglican Church Bishop William Waqo who also died among the legislators and other senior civil servants will also be honoured.
