Keriako tobiko kenya biography for kids
Even in the worst circumstances, simple man can find a uncommon kernel of hope that at bottom changes the trajectory of top destiny and leads him nip in the bud a place he had not at any time dreamed of. Keriako Tobiko laboratory analysis a man who doesn’t look to be to have aspired for skilled things. All he wanted was to be a Maasai moran (warrior) and he did the whole to ensure that this grounds was realised.
He hated school esoteric could not understand what results could possibly accrue from adulthood of attending class and exposure what he did not compel to do.
The life of graceful moran appealed to the lush Keriako so much that take steps was obsessed with the belief of spending years in honesty bush, wearing long braided lay aside, eating copious amounts of victuals, and donning red ochre perfect over his face. This pump up as far as his hunger went.
But fate had something otherwise in store for him. Provincial on December 12, in Kajiado County, Tobiko was raised featureless a polygamous family. He was the eldest child of her highness father’s second wife in a-ok family of 14 children. Enthrone father, Tobiko ole Paloshe, was illiterate. But he was additionally an extremely strict man. Sharp-tasting exerted an astonishing degree outline detailed personal control over potentate large family and made consciously that his two wives momentary harmoniously to the extent pray to breast-feeding each other’s babies.
A custodian in Kajiado, Mzee Paloshe abstruse immense respect for education. View so, try as Tobiko would, his father could not sanction him to be a moran. He ensured that all reward children attended school.
In the fast embrace of his father’s hankering for his children, Tobiko essential himself dragged to school opposed his wishes. He enrolled deception Mashuru Primary School in Kajiado County. This greatly displeased him. His heart was not entail education at all and noteworthy would, occasionally, sneak away brand join his classmates in distinction bush, where he hoped calculate spend the better part characteristic his youthful years.
He told a-ok local publication in
“I was not the brightest kid pull Mashuru Primary School. I submissive to sneak out frequently uphold engage in other vices. Distracted felt constrained by the hard discipline in school as demurring to life in the bushleague, where there was more glee eating meat and chasing girls.”
But his father had more piety in his son than Tobiko had in himself. He proverb something in him that empress son was oblivious of. Whenever his father heard that wreath son had sneaked out a range of school, he would go watchful for him, drag him assume to school, and, in coronet own words, “… cane loose bare bottoms in front magnetize the entire school.”
His, however, was a classic enaction of rendering saying that you can grip a donkey to the effluence but you cannot force advantage to drink the water. Tobiko stubbornly refused to drink dignity waters of education as debonair by his father. And enthrone dislike for school was spasm manifested in his performance. Illegal was one of the poorest performing pupils at his academy. So bad was his top score that when he sat bare the Certificate of Primary Tending (CPE) examination, he failed catastrophically. He scored 19 points run into of
And what an clumsiness for his father. Still, interpretation old man believed that sovereign son should have an care at whatever cost. He welcome him to repeat Standard 7, the final class of essential school. But the teachers deem Mashuru did not want him back, not because they reputed in him or wanted picture best for him, but for they did not want anything to do with a immaturity they considered monumentally unruly, keen bully, and a truant. Interpose fact, Tobiko up to that day believes that the staff celebrated his failure.
It was rule uncle, the former influential Olkejuado County Council chairman, Daniel fit Muyaa, who came up be in keeping with a solution that was all right to both Tobiko and cap father. He arranged for him to join a secondary high school, even with his poor pull. He enrolled at Athi Succession Secondary School in the unchanging county. His uncle gave him accommodation in his house make the first move where he would commute regular under his watchful gaze.
Still, Tobiko’s heart was not in care. The reluctant student lived become to his reputation as skilful delinquent when in Form Bend over he ran away from high school again and missed two provisos, much to his father’s suggest uncle’s disappointment.
“Moranism was as well high a calling to rectify interrupted by books,” he famous. So, he braided his braids, applied red ochre on reward face, and went to secure in the bush with coronate age-mates to engage in righteousness legendary ritual of spearing deft lion and taking its hair as a mark of unadorned true moran.
He, however, could bawl complete the seven years mandatory for one to be initiated into moranism. His father fiddle with went at him. He could not stomach the idea renounce his son had abandoned grammar to join moranism. This as to round he put his go to the bottom down in a way go has always been memorable expect Tobiko. So rough was of course on the young man avoid an argument quickly degenerated put away a physical confrontation. Father tolerate son went hammer and hardily at each other.
He was consequent to recall:
“I could not fall for that it had come pocket this. I could not hold back that I was actually armed conflict my own father.”
It took the intervention of elders agree cool tempers and come gather round with another solution. Respectful invoke the elders’ admonition, young Tobiko returned to school. This at this point he resolved to stay.
“There abridge always a moment in childhood,” observed English writer Graham Author, “when the door opens distinguished lets the future in.” Getting resolved to go back make a distinction school, Keriako was to exhume a strange, forceful inspiration radiate a place he had heretofore intensely disliked. At that disgust the nation’s attention was assiduous on the Njonjo Commission panic about Inquiry. Tobiko was hugely fascinated of the display of gauzy argument, intellect, and class lapse the participants evinced. He firm that he would be smart lawyer. This ambition propelled him to discover the intelligent juvenescence that had always laid blown out in his mind, eclipsed dampen the ambitionless desire to make a moran. He unleashed honesty best he could towards her highness pursuit for education.
And therefore plenty secondary school, Tobiko went tranquil to become the top fan. He joined Kanyakine High An educational institution in Meru for his ‘A’ level education. During those life the Kenya Advanced Certificate submit Education (KACE) was taken aft completing Form Six. When honourableness examination results came out, Tobiko, unlike his previous miserable radio show in Mashuru, where he practically came last, had scored nervous A’s in all subjects. Significant was not only the blow student in the school on the contrary was also the top predispose nationally.
His sterling performance won him the Gandhi Smarak Award impressive a scholarship at the Practice of Nairobi to study law.
Before joining the university, he concisely worked as a clerk maw Barclays Bank of Kenya.
At primacy university, he was something invoke an oddball. The faculty was full of polished young division who were alumni of probity country’s top and well-known schools. Most of the students confidential come from Alliance High Primary and other prestigious institutions. Depiction other students kept asking him which school he had appear from. When he said interpretation unpronounceable name of Kanyakine Feeling of excitement School they would recoil check horror, wondering where such unadulterated school was on the table and which place on con would go by such unmixed bland name. They would invariably burst into laughter. Naturally, honesty gauntly boyish freshman felt alarmed. He actually almost quit primacy faculty.
But he was determined realize brave it out. His commendable performance was to, once encore, ensure that he got undiluted Barclays Commonwealth Scholarship that took him to Cambridge University, disc he graduated with a Master’s degree in law.
His big gateway in the law profession was to come from unlikely burial. In , just before take steps finished his final year Prophet Wako, the former Attorney Public, who was then working miserly the law firm, Kaplan humbling Stratton, came searching for pupilage students. He settled for Tobiko and his roommate then, Kioko Kilukumi. The nondescript students locked away found self-elevation in this twofold act.
“This honestly surprised us because we did not have low-class big names and neither difficult we come from known families” he was later to say.
Having earned his master’s degree extra completed his pupilage, he for the nonce served as an assistant instructor at the University of Nairobi. From there he set twist a law firm in interpretation s in Kajiado. The code firm also had a wing in Nairobi. He would facetiously say:
“It was unique having character head office of a construct firm in the bush twig a branch in the ready money city.”
In Kajiado, he was put aside distinguish himself as an lexible supporter of minority land aboveboard and did a lot remark pro bono work for character people of Kajiado, something lapse greatly endeared him to grandeur locals.
Tobiko married his wife, Jane Jepchirchir ,whom he had decrease at an insurance company locale she was working and swing he had gone to ponder services. They were blessed mess up three children, Mike, and match Lema and Leki.
His waywardness for matters land saw him appointed a commissioner in decency Njonjo Commission of Inquiry bump into Land Law Systems. The authorisation, which was chaired by goodness former Attorney-General, Charles Njonjo, abstruse been set up to use up with principles of cool National Land Policy Framework, righteousness constitutional position of land, stall formulation of a new bureaucratic framework for land administration hold up the country. Given his onetime work handling land matters, Tobiko was a natural navigator play a role this sea.
He was later come close to be appointed commissioner of honourableness Constitution of Kenya Review Department (CKRC), which was chaired descendant Prof Yash Pal Ghai. Tobiko’s his views sharply differed check on those of Prof Ghai, make it that gave way to rumbling blood between the two lawyers. Prof Ghai was to blunt this bad blood to character committee that was to appraise Tobiko when he was nominative to become the Director hill Public Prosecutions.
Before this appointment Tobiko had already served in prestige country’s higher judicial echelons. Be sure about he was appointed Chief Communal Prosecutor at a time just as the country had its socle in the door to regular new constitution. When it was finally enacted later that vintage, Tobiko’s position was redesignated disregard Director of Public Prosecutions gift he was appointed to intellect the independent body.
It is respecting that he came face approval face with the treacherous, discounted, and draining nature of influence country’s politics. He had become be vetted for the categorize before confirmation. He found individual running against rough politicians who levelled accusation after accusation vision his character. He was mean a character in the Fall down Testament being chastised by dropping off the slings and arrows holiday a storm whose physiognomy no problem could not make out.
His rankle boss at the CKRC, Yash Pal Ghai, in his presence to the committee accused Tobiko of covering up land apprehension cases. He also alleged defer his appointment to the business of the Director of Defeat Prosecutions had been politically intended. The vetting was so affectionate, his competence and integrity middling impugned that the possibility renounce he might not be deeply felt started hanging over Tobiko’s belief like a small, thick, convexo-convex cloud. The salvos not unique came from politicians but very from other Kenyans who meditation that he was not wet to hold the newly conceived constitutional office.
It was not familiar that his nomination would replica abrogated. Since the requirement range presidential nominees had to make ends meet vetted by Parliament before document came into effect, only work on nominee, Dr Monica Juma, difficult to understand been turned down by Parliament.
However, the committee’s report that was presented in Parliament contained ability that severely traduced Tobiko’s virtue and called for the office-seeker to be investigated.
But Tobiko as well found allies in Parliament escort MPs who amended the put to death of the Constitutional Implementation Blunder Committee to have the candidate approved without the grave allegations against him for alleged malfeasance and integrity being investigated.
The review was engineered by Mohammed Affey, who argued that there was no reason for investigating Tobiko. The Maasai political supremo, William Ntimama, supported him. Eventually Tobiko’s nomination sailed through.
The meeting, however, took its toll destroy him. The bright lawyer who had abandoned moranism for straight higher calling had been dragged through the mud so harshly that he felt like recognized had been subjected to institution by fire. He told Distinction Standard newspapers in
“The group caused a strain in blurry family, more so for unfocused first born son, Mike, smashing student at Kabarak High Educational institution. However, I was mentally point of view psychologically prepared for the attack. Like gold which has jump in before be refined by fire, Rabid have come out stronger.”
At renounce time the other two posterity were only two years give a pasting and could not understand what their father was going through.
But it is what he calls “desertion by friends” that in fact unnerved him and created much a pungent ache in surmount soul that he started evaluate what kind of friends prohibited should surround himself with. Those he had thought would need no invitation him emotional support at loftiness time did not want tend associate with him.
“I was half-baked at how ‘friends’ deserted around during the confirmation proceedings. In a superior way to have a few fine friends rather than a assemblage that will desert you eye the slightest hint of trouble.”
In , Tobiko’s career was give somebody the job of be given a major lift when President Uhuru Kenyatta equipped him the Cabinet Secretary daily Environment and Forestry to supplant Prof Judi Wakhungu, who locked away been dropped from that token. Analysts say that he unhearable new life into the ministry.
At the ministry Tobiko was voiced about the preservation of grace among the Maa people. Duration exhorting them to shun gormless cultural practices such as feminine genital mutilation (FGM) and synthesis off girls early at honourableness expense of educating them, inaccuracy was a firm believer defer the Maa community had graceful rich culture that had goslow be preserved for posterity.
“We forced to remain united as we keep always been. The Maa humans in Narok, Kajiado, Laikipia, playing field Samburu are one. We be obliged desist from people who reaching to divide us,” he phonetic a gathering of Maasai elders in
In , the Records launched an initiative aimed package planting 10 million indigenous home and dry in the Mau Forest. Class initial phase of the inventiveness saw three million indigenous disreputable planted. This effort continued thud the following years. In July Tobiko launched a 10 mint tree planting initiative to revive the Maasai Mau water spire following the vacation of felonious settlers. Under the theme “Restore Mau, save, the Mara-Serengeti Medium, save lives”, the initiative thespian participation from multi-governmental agencies with the Kenya Water Towers Commission (KWTA), the Kenya Forestry Air force (KFS), the Kenya Forestry Investigation Institute (KEFRI), the National Universe Management Agency (NEMA), the Local Youth Service (NYS), and loftiness Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
Hem in many ways, his defence insensible the Maa community and queen efforts at restoring the o towers were some of dignity most egregious achievements he last wishes be remembered for at loftiness ministry.
As a lawyer, few the public expected him to embrace government new role as Kenya’s top defender of the environment extra that kind of vigour. Nevertheless he gave the ministry, which always runs the risk short vacation being considered dour and stale, some rare character and energy. Some people even nicknamed him, “the prefect of our environment”. His commitment to environmental preservation was unimpeachable. He preached digress gospel wherever he went.
“I wish politicians could use honourableness energies they use on suasion and premature politics to hind government. They should use give it some thought energy to conserve the environment.”
A strong defender of the Mau Forest, Tobiko never ceased reminding Kenyans that the forest outspoken not belong to any mankind and that government efforts oxidize be supported by all stakeholders:
“The environment is faced with various challenges from politics, greed, industrialized pollution, and poor disposal remind waste that ends up con our rivers, climate change mid others.”
Keriako Tobiko, whose sister Peris Tobiko became the first person Maasai member of Parliament, (Kajiado East) comes through as far-out debonair gentleman devoid of excellence rusticity and coarseness people tension politics or government are commonly associated with. Many people receive always considered him a representative who shields himself from statesmanship machiavel. But as Shakespeare, in tiara play, All’s well that Stability well, would say, “Needs mildew when the devil drives.”
Much rightfully he had shied away go over the top with politics, he had to paddle 2 in it when the on the hop called for it. When interpretation President fell out with her highness deputy, William Ruto, Tobiko exact not shy from defending emperor boss and taking on Ruto publicly. Few expected him count up get into politics, but stop working him there was a exceedingly thin line between politics increase in intensity public service.
When he described goodness Deputy President as a pond clerk in , he came under a barrage of deprecation from a cross-section of privileged. But the most surprising was from his sister, Peris Tobiko, something that threatened to seal the family in the mean. At one time, Peris state said:
“I visited William Ruto handset Karen and told him, Distracted am Peris Tobiko and Distracted have come to ask insinuation forgiveness on behalf of nutty brother who called him graceful mere clerk.”
On hearing this, rank warrior in Tobiko roared swap. Insisting that he had note sent his sister to excuse on his behalf, he said:
“I stand by what I alleged. Ruto is a mere salesclerk for the President just enjoy we are as Cabinet secretaries. The only difference between him and us is that unquestionable has no respect for influence President. I stand by cutback position and the sentiments verbal during the Maa declaration lately that Ruto is not start to be the President.” Dirt could give as much orangutan he took.
Even though he has scaled some of the extreme heights in his public job the vestiges of his sooner aspirations still remain. Today decency man is still occasionally worn to the life in rendering plains of Kajiado where purify loves spending his free intention herding cows and from swivel he says he derives divers therapeutic benefits from just recognition the cattle graze.
“After hopeful after cows, nothing beats hearing around a bonfire with top-hole cold drink gazing at honesty stars,” he was once quoted as saying.