On Monday, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator, Kipchumba Murkomen, took to social media and showered his father with praises after he was, on Sunday, ordained to become a church reverend.
Johana Murkomen Kanda, according to his son, had been preaching to the residents of Trans Nzoia and the upper parts of Marakwet West since the early 1970s.
He was later appointed as a Catechist by Father Reinhard, a German-born priest who was in charge of Embobut Catholic Church.
"In the mid-1970s, dad married mum and together left their home in Kaptogol, Embobut Ward to go and serve as casual labourers in Trans Nzoia and the upper parts of Marakwet West. That’s when dad gained little knowledge of how to read and write. As a result of interacting with his masters and fellow labourers he also learnt to speak some little Swahili," Murkomen wrote on Facebook.
On Sunday he was ordained as a reverend of the African Inland Church (A.I.C) after serving as a Lay Pastor since 1984 after he joined from the Seventh Day Adventist which he had migrated to from the Catholic Church.
The majority leader further narrated the hardships his father went through in order to get to where he is today.
The senator noted that since his father did not have any formal education he had to go through adult school for him to be allowed in a theological college for his pastoral course.
"In the late 1980s, Dad opted for homeschooling. He engaged a teacher to help him read and understand English. I knew it well because when we started our primary education, dad was also busy schooling himself. By mid-1990s Dad’s Kiswahili and English proficiency had improved tremendously," Murkomen added.
The firebrand politician father revealed that in 1996 his farther enrolled for training at AIC Kao la Amani College. After two and a half years of education, he graduated with a certificate in Evangelism and Church Leadership a qualification which gave him more authority to serve in the church.
After his graduation, Kanda pushed himself further by enrolling himself at the Kapsowar School of Theology where he graduated in 2015 with a Diploma in Theology and Pastoral Ministry and was immediately licenced to serve as a Pastor.
"We celebrate you dad. We celebrate your resolute and tenacity. Thank you for not just investing in church but also investing God’s word in your family," the senator concluded.
He further appreciated his mother for being the wind behind his father's sail, he called her a fantastic friend, motivator, backer, cheerleader and prayer warrior.
