Questions linger over integrity of nominees listed for State awards

The country has been thrown into a spin following the publication of a controversial shortlist by a parliamentary committee of national heroes being considered for State awards.

While the National Honours Act dictates that persons who exhibit exemplary qualities, actions of heroism, sacrifice, bravery, patriotism or leadership for the defence, benefit or betterment of the country or a county are to be conferred with the honours, the shortlist contains persons linked to corruption, abuse of office and criminal offences who have instead been preferred.

Among the 60 names published Tuesday by the Parliamentary Honours Advisory Committee for the proposal to be awarded the Medal of Honour of Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear are seven elected leaders who have in the past been accused of murder, hate speech, embezzlement of public resources and robbery with violence.

Although the MPs and senators charged with criminal acts triumphed and were cleared by the courts, analysts maintain that the process of selecting beneficiaries should involve high ethical standards. They argue that leaders with tainted reputations should not be considered, to prevent erosion of public trust and dilution of the value of the conferment of honours.

According to the National Honours Act, those to be conferred with the honours should be persons ‘who have made an exemplary contribution to the country or a county in the economic, social, scientific, academic, public administration, governance, sports, journalism, business, security or other fields.’

“A State officer or public officer who has made an exemplary contribution to the betterment of the national or county governments, the executive, the judiciary, the legislature, an independent commission or an independent office,” the Act reads in part.

It also provides that a person who has otherwise brought honour, glory or pride to the Republic qualifies.

Some of the proposed persons for the conferment of the national honours include MPs John Waluke (Sirisia), Fred Kapondi (Mt Elgon), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), William Kamket (Tiaty), John Kiragu (Limuru), and Senators Wahome Wamatinga (Nyeri) and Ledama Ole Kina (Narok), who have in the past found themselves on the wrong side of the law.

Waluke was involved in a protracted legal battle after he was found guilty of fraud and illegal acquisition of more than Sh300 million in 2020, and sentenced to 67 years in prison, with an option of paying a Sh1 billion fine.

MP imprisoned

The MP was imprisoned but set free last year after the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court decision that upheld his sentencing on grounds that the lower court fell short of providing proper context of the evidence before it. The appellate court stated that the High Court, in upholding the sentencing, fell short of proper analysis and contextualisation of the evidence before it, qualifying the determination as flippant and perfunctory.

“In framing the issues for determination, it fell short of proper analysis and contextualization of the evidence. The fresh analysis was not based on the particular elements of the offences charged and was flippant, or perfunctory, to say the least,” ruled the Appellate Court. Kapondi, who is also among those proposed for the award, was arrested over the 2006–2008 clashes in Mt Elgon and in 2020 hit the headlines after he was caught on tape punching his political rival at a burial ceremony.

The MP, who had been accused of having links with the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF), an armed group organised and funded by local politicians, had a rough time when he appeared before the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) after the post-election violence, where he denied the claims.

The MP’s name was later dragged into court after two suspects, Timothy Kiptanui and his brother Cleopas Kiptanui, who had been charged with brutal murder, rape and displacement of persons in Mt Elgon, told the open court that the MP supplied guns and ammunition that they used to terrorise residents of the mountain. He was later charged with hate speech, but the National Cohesion and Integration Commission withdrew the charges against him to pursue alternative ways of dealing with the suspects.

Barasa, who is on the published list of proposed names, was set free by the High Court in 2023 from accusations of allegedly shooting dead Brian Olunga, an aide of his opponent, on August 9, 2022. The court said the prosecution produced insufficient evidence.

Kamket, a controversial politician from the Rift Valley, threatened to mobilise and ferry young men from his community to Nairobi to counter the protests four months ago.

“If you think the rungu-wielding goons who stormed Nairobi are trouble, come back next week and you’ll know who the Pokot youth are,” Kamket said ahead of the June 25, 2025 commemorative protests.

Earlier this year, Kamket hit back at those attacking Ruto’s administration, and his verbal threat to extend the President’s term to 24 years has also elicited reactions.

The MP is no stranger to controversy. In 2014, he was arrested after the murder of 21 police officers in Kapedo following an ambush by bandits.

In January 2021, Kamket was grilled by detectives over insecurity, while in September the same year, a court in Nakuru barred him from entering his constituency.

Kiragu, Limuru MP, was linked to the planning of an incident that led to the rape of the late Ngugi wa Thiong’o, but the court freed him in 2006. Four men were, however, sentenced to death.

Political analyst Charles Nganga, who is also a lecturer at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, maintains that the vetting process should be transparent and should inspire public trust.

“Whether one was convicted or not, the process must reflect integrity and must involve credible institutions such as the Judiciary, while the nominees must possess moral integrity and good public perception,” he said.

On the other hand, Peter Kagwanja regretted that the National Honours did not reflect true values of nationalism, as the process turned out to target mediocrity.

“It has reached to a point that some of the nominees can turn down the offer when they reflect on some of the politicians awarded. For example, what was the essence of awarding the Githeri man with the national honours,” he posed.

On November 29 last year, he was grilled by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, who are currently questioning him over the chaos that rocked a burial ceremony in Bibirioni, Limuru Constituency, where former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was attacked by goons.

Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga was among the persons charged alongside Gachagua with acquiring Sh7.3 billion suspected to be proceeds of crime in 2021.

His case was, however, withdrawn after the Kenya Kwanza administration ascended to power.

His Narok counterpart, Ole Kina, was in 2020 accused of uttering words that led to a re-emergence of violence in which houses were torched and several people shot with arrows.

He, however, denied the allegations, saying a video clip that went viral on social media platforms had been manipulated by his detractors — that the clip had been fabricated and grossly edited to fit someone’s interest.

In February 2020, he was arrested over hate speech and ethnic contempt by officers from NCIC, in partnership with DCI, following his remarks on one of Kenya’s television stations.