Senator Victor Prengei: Man who made history as first Ogiek legislator
Late Nominated Senator Victor Prengei.
Nominated Senator Victor Prengei, who died in a road accident in Nakuru on Monday night, joined Parliament in 2017 on a Jubilee Party ticket, making him the first legislator from the minority Ogiek community.
Mr Prengei, 37, represented young people in Senate, and spelled hope for the Ogiek community which had been overlooked in political circles for decades.
Soon after his swearing-in, Mr Prengei said his nomination signalled a new dawn not only for the minority group but also for young people.
He was the voice of the Ogiek in Senate and in the corridors of justice, and would often voice their concerns, especially on matters land ownership, representation and culture.
Injustices
Before Mr Prengei arrived, the Ogiek had never had representation in Parliament since independence, despite being grossly affected by their removal from their ancestral lands in the Mau forest complex.
Their removal prompted the community to sue in the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha, Tanzania, to argue their case against the government. On May 16, 2017, after an eight-year court battle, the court ruled in their favour.
The court found that the Kenyan government violated seven separate articles of the African Charter in a land rights case that dates back to colonial times. It also said the protection of the Mau forests could not justify the evictions of the Ogiek from their ancestral lands.
The court also recognised the Ogiek as an equally significant community with a distinct culture whose rights to property, life, culture, religion, development and natural resources should be respected as provided for in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Joseph Towett, chairman of the Ogiek Council of Elders, described the death of Mr Prengei as a big loss to the community, which had started to feel represented in political leadership.
Professional life
Senator Prengei, who is survived by a widow and one child, attended Marioshoni Primary School, where he sat his KCPE in 1999. He later joined Moi Secondary School Amalo before proceeding to Maseno University to study economics.
After his undergraduate studies, he joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology for a master’s in strategic management.
He worked for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission as a deputy returning officer. Later, he sat on the Nakuru County Land Management Board and the Betting Control and Licensing Board.
The senator died at War Memorial Hospital, where he had been taken after he lost control of his Toyota Prado and landed in a ditch.
Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui, who was present at the hospital, described the senator as a dedicated servant of the people.
“Today, at around 9.45pm, we lost a dynamic and dedicated servant of the people. (Senator Prengei) represented the Ogiek community in the Senate and was a beacon of hope to many,” he said.
“His elevation to the Senate was a major recognition of the rights of the Ogiek and other minority communities.”
Several other leaders have sent condolences to the senator’s family.
