Ruto's Office Loses Crucial Role to Uhuru

After public outcry on the method the state used in awarding the 2017 recipients of national honours, President Kenyatta swung into action to restore order in the prestigious state awards.

During the 2017 Mashujaa Day celebrations, individuals the public deemed not fit to receive the award ended up in the list of national heroes and heroines honoured by the state. 

Among the controversial individuals were blogger Robert Alai, journalist Jackie Maribe, embattled State House official Dennis Itumbi and Martin Kamotho who is popularly known as Githeri Man, the voter honoured for lining up while munching githeri during the 2017 general election.

President Uhuru Kenyatta being honoured on Thursday, March 21 with the highest award in Namibia by the host country’s president, Hage Geingob. National awards are given to individuals whose distinguished actions brought pride to the nation.

The Daily Nation reported on Sunday, October 20, that in August the government obligated Tom Nyamorat, an Under Secretary in the Office of the President to bring back sanity to the National Awards.

The Nyamorata led the committee which previously operated from the office of the Deputy President was moved to the first floor at President Kenyatta's Harambee House office.

Nyamorata was tasked with the duty of coming up with a mechanism of unstrapping the national honour awards from recipients whose integrity proved they acted below what is expected of those who were honoured.

The under-secretary was also mandated with the task of ensuring that only the most deserving receive the prestigious awards.

The Daily Nation brought to the front an interesting aspect of the national awards. It reported that both the Government Printer and National Honours Committee had no copies of State Investure booklet of national awards and that State House too failed to produce copies of the same.

During national celebrations or at any point in the year, the president confers orders, decorations and medals on various outstanding individuals, both Kenyans and foreigners.

On Sunday, October 20 Mashujaa Day celebrations President Kenyatta bestowed upon star marathoner Eliud Kipchoge with the award of Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart.

 

Marathoner Eliud Kipchoge. He was honored with the Order of the Elder of the Golden Heart by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday, October 20 during the Mashujaa Day.