REMEMBERING TAITAS HEROES AND HEROINES: During the funeral of Fidel Odinga, in Bondo, Siaya County, I was introduced to pre and early post independence Luo politicians by a senior Luo politicians. I was overwhelmed by the high esteem with which they still regard pre and post independence Taita leaders. I remember a few month before the 1979 general elections, Mghozi Dawson Mwanyumba, then MP for Wundanyi constituency and a great friend of Jaramogi paid him a visit at his Odera Strret office, in Kisumu. After hearty discussion, Mghozi confided in Jaramogi his wish to retire from politics in favour of a younger politicians, suibject to retirement of his longtime opponent and, ironically, his father in law Mghozi Juxton Shako. Mzee Alogo, remarked at Kangu Ka Jaramogi. That was the last time I saw Mghozi Mwanyumba . He concluded. History, however, tells us that he did not do so because Hon. Shako announced his candidature the following week. Mwanyumba decided to run for election, but with the aim of keeping Shako out of politics, a feat that he successfully accomplished. According to Mzee Alogo, there was , of course, a discussion over whom to succeed Mwanyumba, someone,the two nationalists thought had the courage to fight against the land grab and marginalization in exploitation of minerals. Two names then futured. One Mr. Darius Msagha Mbela and Mr. Mashenghu Wa Mwachofi. Mbela was a former permanent secretary in the ministry of information while Mwachofi was a former prisons officer, who was at that time a post-graduate student at the university of Nairobi. Mbela was held back by personal problems. Mwanyumba and Jaramogi then threw their political experience behind Mwachofi and saw him to parliament. In June 1981 Mghozi Mwanyumba announced his retirement from politics and his resignation as the chairman of Kanu Taita-Taveta. He had declined to condemn Jaramogi over his Kenyatta was a grabber remarks in Mombasa. Mwanyumba was born in 1927 in TaitaTaveta and entered politics shortly after leaving Makerere university, in 1950 after which he joined the Kenya African Union( KAU). He tried to found Taita Citizen Union, but it did not take form. In 1961 he was appointed a member of the Legico and later became parliamentary secretary in the ministry of agriculture. Towards the end of his career in Parliament, he was the minister for works. Mghozi single- handed ensured that Voi- Wundanyi road was tarmacked. In 1969 Mghozi was ousted by from the Wundanyi seat by Shako, but Mwanyumba regained the seat in1974. Mwanyumbas resignation from Kanu leadership then left his deputy Hon. Eliud Mwamunga, another Taita giant, and then minister for commerce to take the reign of leadership. Though many politicians felt that Mghozi had done his work and was justified to retire, they felt at a loss in the absence of the giant nationalist who could be described as our political father. No wonder, in CORD rallies in Nyanza and Western many refer to me as Nyargot ( a girl form the Hills) or Nyar Mwanyumba.( a daughter to Mwanyumba) Next we are going to read about Juxton Shako.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 20:49:49 +0000