10 years on, the legend of sports journalist Hezekiah Wepukhulu lives on!
From left: Walter Leifer of the West Germany Embassy, Norman da Costa, Sports Editor of the Daily Nation, Hezekiah Wepukhulu of the East African Standard, and Dr Heimsoeth, in this June 20, 1974 photo.
What you need to know:
- “Papa Hez” was a wonderful human being, kind, loving and generous.
- A great father and a loving husband.
- A son to be proud of.
Today marks 10 years since Mzee Hezekiah Wepukhulu departed for the heavenly abode. We plan to honour him on Jamhuri Day.
We, as a family, celebrate the 82 years that he was here on earth and thank God for blessing him with a long life. He would have been 92 this year.
“Papa Hez” was a wonderful human being, kind, loving and generous.
A great father and a loving husband.
A son to be proud of.
A big brother that looked out for his siblings.
Rising from humble beginnings in a small village in Butunde in Bungoma County, he was a trailblazer in his field… a first in many things.
A celebrated sports journalist.
A legend.
We’re honoured to say that “Papa Hez” left behind a lasting legacy.
We wish to not only celebrate this 10th Anniversary but to leave a permanent imprint in his memory.
In this regard, we’re working with the County Government of Bungoma to have two streets named after him: One in Bungoma town and another in his home Constituency of Sirisia.
There are also talks of building a library in Sirisia Constituency and named after him.
In addition, the Magharibi Michezo Awards, a premier sports award ceremony committee in Western Kenya, under the leadership of Dennis Machio, is working on naming a trophy after him.
Machio said: “On behalf of the MMA Organising Committee, I hereby place this request to use the name of the late Hezekiah Wepukhulu as one of our trophy titles. It was suggested that the award be named “Hezekiah Wepukhulu Lifetime Achievement Award.”
“This trophy will be awarded to persons who have contributed towards the development of sports in the western region.
“We appreciate Mzee’s contributions to sports in Kenya and by naming our top trophy after him, we’ll ensure there’s is a long-living legacy he leaves behind for the future generations.”
Wepukhulu’s death came after a career spanning over 40 years, during which he had a distinguished career at the Daily Nation and publications affiliated with the paper.
Jean Simekha is the late Hezekiah Wepukhulu’s daughter
