Speaker Johnston Parmuat Osoi SHARE → Kajiado Speaker: Johnston Osoi, the hustler from Oloontulugum By Fredrique Ntele On July 17, 2013 · Add Comment “I hope to become the president of Kenya some day. But for now I want to remain in the county politics for at least 15 years before Kenya get to know what I am made of,” that’s a warning shot from the ambitious Honourable Johnston Parmuat Osoi, the Speaker for Kajiado County Assembly. As the first Speaker of Kajiado County Assembly, Hon Osoi has no place to hide – controversy, debates and politics are all around him – thus making him one of the most visible politicians. He is a father of three, a Christian and a man inspired by William Ruto and Martin Luther King Jr. He started a firestorm by leading the county assembly vetting committee that rejected executive nominees of a popular governor. This resulted in weeks of condemnation of the entire Country Assembly by residents who accused them of scheming against Governor David Nkedienye – a man with a fanatical following among young people. Just before the dust settled, the Speaker triggered another controversy that went viral by insinuating that most of the young activists who are against County Assembly members are academic strugglers. The Speaker clarified his statement and apologized. So, who is Hon Johnston Osoi? Let’s go to his birth place – Oloontulugum in Kajiado Central. He is the son of Mereyian and Tumpes Osoi, a humble couple that brought him to this world in 1973. He grew up without the basics of life. They once owned only one donkey called “Kamuye.” Hunger was the norm and his father dreamt of him becoming a great warrior who will change the family’s fortune by raiding cattle from Ukambani instead of wasting time in school. In 1979, lady luck smiled at Johnston when chief Kurao Nkokwa started the first school in the village and demanded every family to contribute a child to the school. Johnston was enrolled in the absence of his father who was then a watchman at coffee plantation in Kasarani. Well, the future Speaker turned out to be an exceptional student. He became the top 1987 KCPE student in Kajiado District by scoring six As (72 points out of 72) and enrolled at Nairobi School. Joining one of Kenya’s elite schools did not turn out to be a walk in the park. He dropped out two years later due to lack of school fees. His father’s dream came true when Johnston returned home to become a warrior and a famous soloist who won the hearts of many girls in the village. A year later, he tried another stint in academics and enrolled at Olkejuado High School. However, due to lack of medical attention, psoriasis (a skin allergy condition) threatened to end his educational journey. It made it hard for him to study and perform as expected. He only managed to get Grade C in his final high school exams – his worst grade ever. His dream of going to university evaporated. He retreated to Oloontulugum to nurse his wounds and look after the family herd. He thought of joining the army but there was no recruitment that time. “I needed a job in order to quickly rescue my family from poverty, “Mr. Osoi recalls. Then one day, Mereso Agina of Maendeleo ya Wanawake stumbled upon him and helped him to enroll at the Kenya medical Training College on a scholarship to study Pharmacy – a qualification that gave him the opportunity to work in a number of hospitals – Kenyatta National Hospital, Narok, Guru Nanak and Gertrude’s Children Hospital. He was later hired as sales representative by Aventis Phar-Mor in the East Africa region and got elevated to be sales manager in 2007. He was poached by the American Beckon Dickinson where he emerged as Africa sales person of the year in 2009 and was promoted to become the Sales Manager for 34 countries . “I owe a lot to my parents for their struggle in my upbringing. It was not their own making and that’s why I work hard to ensure I change the lives of those around me. There’s no reason for any child to live without food or education,” says Osoi. He has kept his dream of higher education burning with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Sociology from Catholic University and currently a student of law in the same university. He hopes to be admitted to the bar someday as a High Court Advocate. “I am not under any illusions about enormous tasks ahead as the speaker of this assembly. I will act to the best of my knowledge to ensure we have the best county government not only in Kenya but also in the world.” He added that they are borrowing ideas from the world’s established jurisdictions and governments like in Germany, Norway and USA. “I believe that in the next few years we will have a Texas like county and we will look to introduce land use laws,” he said. And for those who think Hon Osoi is going to soften on the relations between the County Assembly and the executive, the message is clear. “Working for the betterment of the masses is key in my agenda as it’s always a tradition for those in power to work for their own interest. As the speaker, I will ensure this tradition is changed in this county. I will hereby work to keep the executive on their toes.” Related Posts TAGGED WITH → Johnston ole Osoi • Speaker for Kajiado County Assembly
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 13:04:18 +0000
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