So, I have seen interesting conversations all over on why a major road should have been named after Former President Mwai Kibaki before Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga got one.
Well … Well ….
To begin with, let me talk about that Raila Odinga Way. From where I sit, Rao deserved that honour by all standards. His contributions to the realization of the Kenyan Dream, especially the democracy front, are unmatched. His role in the 2nd Liberation is worth all accolades available. Of course, the Mbogi Genje generation, which runs these streets, can’t comprehend that but it is not my business to educate them on the history of their country.
Now, on to Mzee Mwai Kibaki. Yes there is a road in Nyeri town named after him but that of course is inconsequential when you consider the value of a name of a road in Nyeri town vs who Mwai Kibaki really is. Definitely, the kind of road that instantly comes to mind when you think of naming Mwai Kibaki after one is a serious road, say Thika Superhighway. So, why has that which fellows imagine not happened almost 10 years after Kibaki left office yet he is Kenya’s most celebrated president?
Well … I don’t speak for Mzee; his Private Secretary Ngari Gituku does. But there are one or two unique things about Mzee I understand pretty well and this is not by chance. Many moons ago, when I left The University of Nairobi and I was looking for a landing lest I found myself back in Difathas, I spent quite some time hovering around Mzee’s first retirement office at the 18th floor of KICC. Just hovering around there trying to make myself useful. While there, I got a chance to learn a few things about Mzee I previously did not comprehend. One of the aspects of Mzee I understood better and which is relevant to the issue at hand is that, Kibaki’s view and perception of life and what really matters is very different from most of us. Mzee is never excited by mere optics but rather, real substance. Yes, that’s Mzee for you and this is perhaps why his focus remains steady even in the midst of those exciting/confusing things that distract most of us. This is perhaps why he was able to focus during his presidency and deliver so much amidst the crazy political noise of the day especially during his first term.
That said, I cannot confirm or deny whether the absence of a serious road named after him is by his own design because as I have said, I don’t speak for him.
However, I am here imagining someone waking up one day and going to the Mzee I know and proposing a road to be named after him. Well, your conclusion on his response is as good as mine.
NB: This is purely personal opinion.
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TOTALLY UNRELATED: Mavi ya kuku loosely translated means; wewe ni pumbavu ….