President Kenyatta mourns Kajiado veteran politician Ole Muyaa

President Uhuru Kenyatta has condoled the family and friends of Daniel Ole Muyaa who died Wednesday at is home after a long illness. 

Muyaa, 74, was a Maasai community elder and a veteran civic leader in Kajiado, who served for a long time as the chairman of Olkejuado County Council. 

In his message of condolence, the President said Muyaa will be remembered as a patriotic leader who stood firm and fought relentlessly for the rights of ordinary Kenyans. 

“Mzee Ole Muyaa was a man of the people. He was an ardent fighter for the rights and the welfare of wananchi. It was due to his leadership skills that he was able to serve for a long period as the chairman of Olkejuado County Council and the chairman of the then Association of Local Government Authorities," the President said. 

President Kenyatta asked God to grant Mr Muyaa’s family, his friends and the people of Kajiado County comfort and fortitude during this difficult moment of mourning.

Muyaa was born in 1944 in Kiu village in Mashuru division, Kajiado District. He attended Kiu Primary School, where he did the Common Entrance Examination, before enrolling with the National Youth Service.

LIFE AND TIMES

Between 1961 and 1981, he worked as a storekeeper with the Ministry of Agriculture, until he resigned on being nominated a councillor in the Mavoko Urban Council (Athi River), Machakos District.

The nomination was credited to his friendship with the then Minister for Local Government, Mr Stanley Oloitipitip, who was one of the most influential voices in Kajiado, and the wider Maasai politics at that time.

In 1983, Muyaa captured the Kitengela Ward in Kajiado in a by-election occasioned by his election petition.

He retained the seat in 1988 and in the same year, he was elected Olkejuado County Council chairman which he held until 2003.

When Prof Saitoti plunged into active politics by vying for the Kajiado North seat in 1988, one of the civic leaders enlisted to help run his campaign machinery was Muyaa.

And, he was an energetic booster, present at every Prof Saitoti’s function.

Muyaa remained loyal and handy to Saitoti – he was among those who defended the Vice-President in 1994 when he was attacked by Mr William ole Ntimama

But he made an about-turn only in 2001 when he was recruited by forces suspected to be nudged on by Mr Julius Sunkuli, then powerful Minister of State in Mr Daniel arap Moi’s administration.

It is believed that Mr Sunkuli enlisted the services of Muyaa at the time of the 2002 succession politics in which Mr Moi was retiring.

In the sunset days of Moi’s rule, Mr Sunkuli had emerged as the preeminent Maasai leader after it became clear that Moi was not keen on Prof Saitoti who was his vice president.

The fallout was cemented when Mr Sunkuli detailed Muyaa to take on Prof Saitoti in the Kajiado North Parliamentary contest in the 2002 general election.

Muyaa lost to Prof Saitoti.