KoT lists Kenyans for Head of State Commendation

Esther Neema. Kenyans on Twitter said she should have gotten a Head of State Commendation for saving her best friend's life following a dormitory fire at Moi Girls School, Nairobi. Ms Neema died in the fire. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Kenyans on Twitter rejected the list drawn up for the Head of State Commendation and gave their own alternatives.

Following the uproar by Kenyans on the Head of State Commendation granted to ‘undeserving’ individuals, netizens took to social media to list the people they felt were truly worthy of the award.

Kenyans on Twitter (KoT), using the hashtag #KOTCommends, gave their own suggestions on who should appear on the list of awardees, after they rejected the likes of Kamotho Martin who has come to be known as the Githeri man, bloggers Robert Alai, Dennis Itumbi and Pauline Njoroge.

ALTERNATIVE LIST

According to the multitudes, these people have done nothing for the nation to deserve such recognition.

Patrick Kilonzo Mwalua appeared in the Twitter list for his work of taking drinking water to wild animals in the Tsavo National park during drought.

Wanjeri Nderu also featured in the list for pushing the #FreeSSudan4 campaign, and succeeding.

Even Cyprian Nyakundi, who has become the darling of the male population in the country recently for his campaign “to promote the rights of the boy child”, also made the list.

Yvonne Okwara was nominated for her excellence in journalism. KoT described her as fearless & intelligent.

Eldoret Catholic Dioceses Bishop Cornelius Korir in a past photo. The Bishop, who died on October 30, 2017, was mentioned by Kenyans on Twitter as deserving a Head of State Commendation posthumously for his commitment to peace building. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

HONOUR

Dr Ouma Oluga, secretary general of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU), was named as a worthy candidate for the award for bringing to light the problems doctors face in government hospitals through the #LipaKamaTender doctors’ strike.

A recipient of the commendation himself, blogger Dennis Itumbi recognised that the Nasa digital team were deserving of the honour for their great use of social media and technology during the campaign season.

A teacher, Mrs Catherine Mwaniki, who took in one of her orphaned students and saw him through medical school and whose story appeared in the Daily Nation, was also listed for the award.

DESERVING

Nancy Muigei‏ @Kenyangriot suggested, “Posthumous award goes to Bishop Cornelius Korir for always rising above politics and his commitment to peace building,”

Another posthumous Head of State Commendation would go to Esther Neema, who was student at the Moi Girls School, Nairobi. Esther saved her best friend from an inferno that burnt down the dormitories of the school and died in the process.

For LJ‏ @Liljzhonne3, the commendation is quite personal. He tweeted, “#KOTCommends help me commend my brother for giving me his own kidney to save my life and other kidney donors out there.”

Some tweeps even felt that their names should have appeared on the roll.

Cliff Ochomo‏ @cliffochomo posted that, “I am someone who thinks and feels much more than is reasonable. And this is my 10 thousandth tweet. I should be commended.”