Sunday, June 17, 2012

Thousands pay last respects to Ojode


By EVELYN KWAMBOKA AND NICHOLAS ANYUOR
Internal Security Assistant minister Joshua Orwa Ojode has been laid to rest at his home in Unga, Kanyamwa Central, Ndhiwa District.
Several MPs led by President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga joined more than 5,000 mourners in paying tribute to the late Ojode with call for unity and peace amongst Kenyans in honour of the six victims of the plane crash.
Mourners started trickling into the venue as early as 5am. The burial ceremony started with the moving eulogy from Wife Mary and son Andy.
Mary told mourners how she almost became a victim of the plane crash, had the husband heeded to her request to accompany him to Ndhiwa constituency for a fund raising on the fateful day.
She said the husband had travelled abroad on a State duty, and had taken long before coming back home.
“For the last one month, his activities were driving him away from home. God was preparing me for the separation. He had been away for so long,” she said.
Mary demanded she accompanies him to Ndhiwa but he refused, went to the dining room and sipped a cup of tea before leaving some money on the table for the family use.
He left the house immediately and after an hour, somebody called Mary to find out if the husband had travelled.
“I replied in the affirmative but we were not sure if he was one of those involved in the plane crash. God gave me the strength to call Tim Choge in the UK and I asked him to run to Andy’s room,” she recalled.
Mourners were told that when Chege arrived in Andy’s room, he was found staring on the television set.
Mary also warned the media to remain professional in handling sensitive and delicate issues, such as relaying information on death to relatives.
“Our son Andy didn’t know. Some of the information was in the media even before the family members were informed. It is bad and I request the media to be sensitive,” she said.
Andy described his father as big-hearted person, who had a big ‘family’, with his constituency being the ‘first born.’
“My father had a big family. His first-born was the people of Ndhiwa, then his Security Docket. He valued his constituents so much and helped people from other areas,” he said.
He said the late father was focused and believed in education as the only key to success.
“Many people benefitted from his programmes and projects. He insisted that we remained good for those who needed help,” said Andy.
Ojode died alongside Internal Security Minister George Saitoti, two pilots and two bodyguards in a chopper crash last Sunday. Saitoti was buried at his Kitengela home Saturday.
President Kibaki described Ojode as a patriotic and selfless civil servant who was educated and dependable.
He said Ojode was focused to unite Kenyans and fought ethnicity ahead of the general elections, appealing to Kenyans to emulate Ojode’s footsteps as a honour to the departed MP who was also referred to as Sirkal.
“We have lost a hardworking resolute leader. His services will be engraved in our memories and we should embrace communal harmony that he preached to us,” he added.
The President praised Ojode, saying he was a man who stood by his words and never changed a single thing even when confronted.
“I get a copy of what ministers are going to say in parliament. If you want to come and look at those copies, please come. I know those who change in the morning what they said yesterday and those who will repeat exactly what they said yesterday,” he said.
The Prime Minister said he met Ojode in 1981 and has been a friend of the Ojodes for many years, adding that the fallen MP was one of the Ford Kenya party’s last born.
Raila who was among the first to visit the accident scene in Ngong area, said the place was a terrible site to behold, adding that it was not possible for them to view the body.
Remembering Ojode’s late brother-Odira Ojode- who was executed for being involved in the 1982 coup, Raila said the family has paid a heavy price by knowing pain and suffering.
“This home has paid a heavy price. It has known pain and suffering,” he said.
Recalling how Cabinet seats were divided between PNU and ODM parties when they came into a coalition, Raila said it was difficult in finding a person to take the security docket but appointed Ojode for his competence and hard work.
“I knew he would succeed because he had shown starling performance in the dockets he had handled before,” he said.
He also supported the President’s call on Kenyans to emulate Ojode, adding that the country was going through a critical transitional period that needed committed people to implement the constitution.
Speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende called on Kenyans to seek divine intervention, adding that Ojode was cheerful and easy to relate with.
“We are all troubled and horrified. We must seek divine intervention,” he said.
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka described Ojode as a man who did not have tribal differences or hatred.
Ojode will be remembered for his active participation in parliament where he defended the government by answering questions touching on national security.
“It will be very difficult for me to imagine that during question time Ojode will not be there to answer questions on security and provincial administration,” Kalonzo said.
There was laughter when Aldai MP Sally Kosgey told mourners that she never understood where Ojode got his humour from, adding that he used to refer to her as “nyar Opiyo” (Opiyo’s daughter).
“Ojode used to tell me Nyar Opiyo, that is not very good and I replied Opiyo en ngaa? Nying mar Opiyo ne iyudo kure? (Who is Opiyo and where did you get that name from?),” she said amid laughter.
Eldoret North MP William Ruto said that during his tenure as the Agriculture Minister, Ojode approached him to have a sugar factory in his Ndhiwa constituency.
“I could not resist the urge to set up the factory and three months ago, it began to crash cane. This is because he believed in empowering his constituents,” he said.

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