Remembered as the man who led dialogue for Kenya's independence, Tom Mboya 38 was shot dead along Nairobi’s Moi Avenue as he stepped out of a chemist in 1969.
As the nation remembered the slain leader, Gidi as well was not left behind, as the breakfast presenter paid tribute in a lengthy post to the man he believed would have greatly helped fight tribalism in Kenya.
Read Gidi's tribute as well as background history of Thomas Joseph Mboya below.
Tom Mboya - whose death we commemorate today - was born in 1930 in Donyo Sabuk in a white settler farm. (tragically & incidentally that is where lawyer Willie Kimani & his colleagues were dumped after being murdered by suspected rogue AP Police.)
Right from birth, Tom Mboya started to interact with the twin issues that Kenya would grapple with, tribalism & colonialism. He grew up speaking fluent Kikuyu, fluent Kamba as well as his native Luo, a place he first visited when going to high school, St Mary's Yala.
He was MP Kamukunji - a majority Kikuyu constituency. He was instrumental in campaigning for former president Mwai Kibaki to be MP Bahati - a constituency with a significant Luo population. After his death, and after nearly losing the seat in 1969, President Mwai chose to run in his native Othaya constituency.
His background and personality pushed him to be the defacto leader for the fight for independence as a Trade Unionist in the absence of Imprisoned Jomo Kenyatta and other leaders. He was the de facto leader of negotiations at the Lancaster hse talks. And so we got Independence.
Sadly we shall never know how his multi tribal leanings would have helped us fight against negative tribalism - our ever present nemesis. For the very reason that he was best placed to lead us in that fight, his life was cut short.
We salute you, Tom Mboya.
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