Late Mutula Kilonzo: A Gifted Lawyer -turned –Education-
extra-ordinaire
After the sudden demise of former Education minister Mutula
Kilonzo at his Maanzoni home in April 2013, the knacks and sunk he boldly introduced in the Education sector
cannot be whisked away. Even as the new government takes center stage on its
education agenda the late open-minded senator rest a happy man. Henry Onyango puts the order into
perspective.
The death of former Makueni senator and senior
counsel Mutula Kilonzo is not getting away from Kenyans any time soon.
The former Education miniser who served as
Nairobi Metropolitan minister and later at the Justice and Constitutional
affairs docket absence in the government has been a big blow to the education
sector.
Former Makueni senator the late Mutula Kilonzo
During his short stint at the Education
ministry the late Senator Kilonzo was able to revolutionalize the sector due to
his open-mindedness in addressing real issues.
His input in addressing the teachers’ demands
was adequate as he was able to solicit funds from the treasury to salvage the
marauding teachers strike after they had warned over the same.
During the recently concluded Makueni
senatorial by-elections voters of the county showed their love they had for the departed senator when
they overwhelmingly voted for his son Mutula
Kilonzo junior ruthlessly beating his closest rival Prof .Philip Kaloki
of the Jubilee alliance.
Earlier the late Kilonzo’s daughter,Kethi
Kalonzo attempt to contest for the seat
had been quashed by the court ruling that blocked her from vying for the
coveted post. Kethi has since sued Independent Electoral Boundaries Review commission
(IEBC) to offer evidence that they used against her in the court ruling.
The late senator Kilonzo explosive mini-skirts
scenario was another mind boggling exercise that according to critics, showed
his true colors in approaching real-time issues with sobriety.
Sections of the catholic nuns were adamant
that Kilonzo had to apologize to them and to the country over the mini-skirts
case.
Church leaders and Muslim preachers equally
pressurized the then Education minister to resign claiming that he had lowered
the country’s morals by allowing school girls to wear mini-skirts.
The late senator was adamant. He never
retracted his statements instead he was quoted saying that his sentiments and
stance had served real purpose and would stand the test of time.
Educated at Mbooni Primary School and Machakos
High School before joining University of Dar es Salaam in 1969 graduating with
a First Class Honors’ Degree in Law, the first in the East African region, the
late former Makueni senator’s presence in the Education industry attracted
insurmountable changes.
Being a no-nonsense man, he was not only a public figure but
a force to reckon with legal wise and who really said what he liked supporting
with the wittiest clauses possible.
Former Prime minister and CORD leader Raila Odinga described
the late senator’s death as a big blow to the achievement of the county set
goals and would be missed by his compatriots.
With his
controversial sudden death on the night of Friday, April 26 2013, has set apart
gaps in both the Education sector and the Law industry where he diligently
served with zeal.
The former senior lawyer and high court advocate who too
owned a law firm had also represented Mbooni constituency in the parliament for
one term in parliament after he had served as a nominated member in the 8th
parliament.
After battling it out in the corridors of justice which he
was eminent also for been the Constitutional Minister during the promulgation
of Kenya’s new constitution by the retired head of state Mwai Kibaki.
The late Kilonzo replaced Professor Ongeri in Ministry for
Education and his big win moments in Education included the ban on holiday
tuition in schools that was seen as having led to work overload on students.
He served in
government as Education minister until the end of the ten -year Kibaki era and
quit to join his learned friends in senate which constitutes of the 21st Century
debaters of the digital world.
The late senator Mutula was among the CORD luminary
‘think-tank’ alongside former Prime Minister and ODM leader, Mr. Raila Odinga,
the former VP and Wiper leader Mr. Musyoka, immediate senator for Kangundo, the
vocal Machakos senator Johnstone Muthama
among other great coalition team players.
Despite Cord losing
in the race and considering a court petition, the late Mutula’s presence was
stood ‘noble’ like never in the whole process.
The ‘ master’ of law in his last days was so much eager to
see the journey towards a devolved Kenya
but as it goes nature has no medicine, he lived his life well and
achieved tremendously both in his career
and the public sector at large.
Mr. Kilonzo spent most of his free time and weekends at his
Maanzoni lodge which is also a wildlife sanctuary supervising work and enjoying
the wonderful view of animals in his unique ranch.
Mutula’s sudden departure still remains a theory despite the
many attempts by his family and the Kenyan Government in determining the truth
on what could have led his death.
His legacy speaks for itself; his memories will forever ring
as fresh as now in the minds of Kenyans of our time, his one in a million witty
and intellect job will fill books of history.