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Faces on the coin

Making of a Nation through their eyes

His Excellency the president, Jomo Kenyatta is dead!

Those are the words that resonated in the minds of citizens in 1978. A heroine has befallen us, a man of courage humor and tenacity. The country was in sorrow, workers had downed their tools to unifingly mourn. The Nairobi streets that springs with activity was dead silent. The country mourned as many say, the face of the Kenyan future, and the first face on the coin who laid the foundations of this great nation. Jomo Kenyatta was born in Gatundu, and its amazing that the year of birth is not certain, but most scholars estimate it was in the 1890s .The future leader was born in the kikuyu community. Hes name was Kamau Wa Ngige at birth, he later changed his name to Kenyatta (a famous belt he wore).Kenyatta schooled at the Presbyterian missionaries and moving into the city by 1921.politicians are either born or made and for Kenyatta he was born to be a leader, this is seen in his first involvement in the early African protest movement in 1924. Kenya during Kenyatta was an error of darkness with the president had been a beacon of hope soldiering his countrymen to fight for their rights against the colonialist. His zeal gave hope and strength to people beyond Kenya. In the mind of making a nation, Kenyatta presents himself a leader who has the country at heart, by giving up everything to lay the foundation of the current state. History may have forgotten the great leader and he might be suppressed by time, but in the hearts and minds of the Kenyan people Kenyatta is still Mzee. The nations father. Remembering his philosophy of eradicating poverty, diseases and foolishness, are the pillars that our current leaders are still puff led with. Philosophies a man stands for define his demeanor; Kenyattas philosophies might have been simple but are relevant if we are keen on achieving them. Kenyatta wore many hats and as a teacher as most of his peers would call he initiated love for our culture and heritage, as a farmer he
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encouraged people to go back to farming and as a democrat he upheld the democratic principle of one-man aoane-vote. Kenyatta might have had many sorts falls but we celebrate him for leading Kenya into a new error of liberation. The past must never be forgotten and should always be referred to in making current decisions. The error of Mzee gave down to a new time in 1978.a time when new philosophies were to be defined and structured to lead Kenya into greater heights. This is the error of Fuata Nyayo.

Since ideas are more enduring than human bodies and sacrifices last longer than sermons thus the light that is Kenyatta burns on to illuminate the path of Kenya.

Kenya after Kenyatta Kenya after the death of Jomo Kenyatta took a paradigm shift and is never to be reverted. The face of Kenya was changing to new direction under the leadership of a young talented man, Daniel Arap Moi and as popularly known in the common circles as Baba. A man who had a vision to create an empire know to all far and wide. Moi came in as a timid man who had the interest of the nation at heart but soon changed his tack after the attempted coup of He was born on September 2nd, 1924 in Kurieng'wo Village. In 1934, he began his elementary education at Africa Inland Mission(AIM) School in Kabartonjo. He later proceeded to AIM kapsabet in 1938. In 1942, he joined Kapsabet AIM School for his High School education and later proceeded to Government African School in Kapsabet. The Kenyan people believe to date, that our troubles began with Moi, which I dont refute this but I believe credit should be given to him for the peaceful co-existence he created even though it was done using an iron rod. The shift from a jovial leader to one that has an authoritarian rule was hard
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to swallow for many Kenyans, but I believe we went through this face for a bigger reason than we can comprehend. The former president was known for his philosophy of fauta nyayo, following in the footsteps of Kenyatta. I give him credit for ensuring that the level of illiteracy and poverty was reduced substantially through the many projects he embarked on. In the presidents eyes, it would be hard to find any fault on his leadership. Despite his short comings he still commands a soft spot in most of us. As the sun sets on his political career believe Kenyan misses Moi and would not mind having him as a leader without his autocratic rule. Tension, rivalry and hate characterized the end Mois reign, Kenyans were ready for change which they sought for it through the first face on the coin; the current president his Excellency Emilio Mwai Kibaki. The torch was handed over. Kenya Now As a nation we have come a long way, through the hands of our past leaders and I believe we never learn from their achievements because if we did, we wouldnt have been tackling the same issues. The current president came into power when the countrymen needed change in leadership styles. His Excellency took a more quite, behind the scene role but hands-on when it comes to performance. The political environment has been dynamic ever since the acceptance of multi-party in Kenya, we have had an array of political parties that we can choose leaders from. The achievements that President Kibaki has achieved have summed up all the past presidents dream. He has left a mark in development and the nation will always be glad for that. He has had his share of corruption allegations in his cabinet and among his close confidant, but this cannot be compared to the achievements. As a people we have to give credit to the progress and developmental track record the president will leave behind, and as we agitate for new leadership the philosophies of our past presidents should override the rest of criterion used to vote.

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The Kenyan future The faces on the Kenyan coin have changed with every coming of a new president; the change has been in policies, reforms and demeanor. As we choose the next face on the shillings, it detrimental that our past should contribute more towards where we are headed as a Nation. Kenya is greater than the faces that govern us, its a people who have to make choices on the future leaders, and this is on our court. Lessons we should learn as a nation are: we are greater as a people than our tribal affiliations, secondly the choices we make on the type of leader we want, will influence the future of our nation. Who do we want to bestow the mantle of leadership to? This is a choice that is scary at this election year but we have come a long way not to have learnt from our previous leaders. The choice is yours ###