Kajwang’ was a fearless UoN student leader

In his book Detained, our great and internationally acclaimed author, Prof Ngugi wa Thiong’o, taught us how to evaluate our fallen leaders.

He was evaluating the life of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. He analysed Kenyatta’s ideological and political history from the 1920s until his death.

He glorified what he believed was positive and condemned what he believed was unpatriotic and negative.

I believe Barrack Muluka in his appreciation of the late Kajwang in a newspaper article on Saturday reaffirms this approach.

In my appreciation of Senator Kajwang’ I have chosen to remember what was great about him. I believe Mr Muluka has touched on some of the negative aspects of his politics.

We need that balance so that future generations will be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. History, too, will record that balance to the benefit of our continuing struggle for nationhood.

Talk of immortalisation! A cartoonist sketched Kajwang’ arriving in heaven in song and dance, his ever warm and genuine smile on his face.

The angel at the pearly gates is very reflective of the now adapted words of the famous song Mapambano…Malaika Msilale…lale! Lale! Malaika Msilale…bado Mapambano! I believe struggles continue in heaven among many of our former leaders who are either there or elsewhere.

GREAT RELATIONSHIP
The song Mapambano (struggle) is immortalised and the words bado mapambano (the fight is still on) are as immortal as the words A luta continua…the struggle continues… upon which many of us cut our revolutionary and radical teeth singing.

I revisit Barrack Muluka because he took the wind out of my sails about the great events of 1979 that he passionately narrates.

In April that year the academic staff resurrected the University Academic Staff Union to fight for Prof Thing’o to resume his duties at the university. The students made this demand through their leader Rumba Kinuthia.

I was elected the secretary-general and we proceeded to change the name of the Union to University Staff Union. We recruited membership beyond the academic staff and had a great relationship with the student union.

The university became the centre of dissent in a country the Kanu dictatorship was closing all democratic spaces.

The unions, societies, and Parliament had been silenced through detentions, patronage, threats, and assassinations.

Indeed, the famous Seven Bearded Sisters (Senator James Orengo, George Anyona, Mashengu Mwachofi, Chibule wa Tsuma, Abuya Abuya, Lawrence Sifuna, Koigi wa Wamwere so christened by Charles Njonjo who unacknowledged the only sister in the group, namely, Chelagat Mutai) found in the university, their solid audience, constituency, and unwavering following.

ACADEMIC PROWESS
This is the ideological, political, and intellectual environment under which I came to know Kajwang’.

As my student, his academic prowess preceded him. For a student to score six points, the best possible, in their school certificate outside Alliance High School, was not common. Kajwang’ did that in Mbita High School.

As secretary-general of the University Staff Union I interacted frequently with the student leaders. I came to know Kajwang’ in and out of class.

Student leadership in those years required brains, courage, ideological and political clarity, great mobilisation and organisational attributes, and the readiness to make the greatest sacrifice in the anti-dictatorship struggles, the readiness to die for the cause.

Nobody can ever deny Senator Kajwang’ that history and legacy.

When Kajwang’, Mukhisa Kituyi, and Rumba Kinuthia were expelled after the demonstration in 1979, the Union used its contacts to successfully get them places at Makerere University.

Kajwang’ publicly acknowledged the help he received from the Union with immense gratitude. We had similar contacts with our colleagues at Dar es Salaam University.

We used these contacts effectively to ensure that student leaders continued with their studies elsewhere.

VERY GREATFULL
The last batch of students to benefit from these contacts went to Dar in 1981. After the attempted coup in Kenya in 1982 vice-chancellors of the three universities brought to an end these contacts by decreeing that students expelled from one of the three universities would not be admitted in Dar or Uganda.

In March this year I visited courts in Migori and Homa Bay counties. In Migori we were received by Governor Cyprian Awiti and Senator Kajwang’.

Besides calling me “Mwalimu”, Senator Kajwang’ told his constituents how the university union helped him to complete his studies at Makerere.

It was my first visit to a county where I was received by the governor, the senator, and the Member of Parliament for the constituency I was visiting.

I remember glorifying such collaboration by elected leaders in the interests of the people they represent. I am happy that other counties have followed suit.

We shall miss Senator Kajwang’s warm smile to both friend and foe. We will immortalise his sacrifice for our democratisation.

RADICAL TRANSFORMATION

We shall immortalise his song Mampabano among such other radical transformative songs as the Mau Mau Revolutionary Songs compiled by Maina Kinyatti, Unbwogable, Utawala, Sheria, Kenya Nchi ya Kitu Kidogo na ya Watu Wadogo, Mambo ni Yale Yale, Mambo ya Ukoloni, Tutakatata Minyororo ya Ukoloni, among others.

I am sure the emerging artist human rights movement will make sure Mapambano and these other patriotic and nationalist songs never die.

We look forward to many more of these songs as we struggle to implement our progressive 2010 Constitution.

May the Almighty God rest the soul of our fallen leader in eternal peace!