• The Kanu chairman called on Sports, Heritage and Culture CS Amina Mohamed to ensure veterans like Maulid Juma are never forgotten.
• He said heroes like Juma have a place in Kenya's history of Kenya and future generations must be able to know and acknowledge them
Kanu chairman and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi has urged the government to recognise Kenyan veterans in different fields of sports and entertainment.
Speaking when he visited veteran taarab maestro Maulid Juma, who is ailing, Gideon on Tuesday said Juma was among the veteran musicians who put Kenya on the regional map through his music.
“He used to entertain Kenyans, including Mzee [late former President Daniel Moi], whenever he was at the Coast. These are the heroes we must never forget,” Gideon said at Juma's Hongera home in Kisauni.
The senator urged Sports, Heritage and Culture CS Amina Mohamed to ensure veterans like Juma are never forgotten.
He said such heroes have a place in Kenya's history and future generations must be able to know and acknowledge them thus the need to have the history captured and preserved.
“We know there are some funds that were set aside to help such heroes. CS Amina should not forget people like Maulid Juma,” Gideon said.
Juma has over 45 songs to his name that helped catapult Kenyan taarab music scene into the global market.
Famed for his lyrics that revolved around love, politics and life teachings, Juma wowed fans around the continent with his comical way of delivering his message through taarab.
Although he hardly stepped into a classroom, Juma was quick to learn and used his street smart acumen to go about his business from a young age.
“I was a fisherman and the sea was my home,” he said in January last year, when spoke to the media about his life.
“I had a sharp mind and nobody taught me how to sing. I just learnt through listening to music,” he said.
In 1972, he formed his own taarab band called ‘Maulid and Party’ after realising he had amassed for himself a massive fan base.
John Kaghenda, a Maulid Juma fan, described him as a maestro in taarab.
“I knew him from a young age. He used to entertain people in weddings and other social gatherings,” Kaghenda said.
Juma said he has entertained former President Moi, retired President Mwai Kibaki, the incumbent, Uhuru Kenyatta and former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, among other dignitaries in Kenya and beyond.
Now, ailing and unable to walk on his own, Juma says music did not benefit him as it is benefiting young musicians today.
“If music paid, I would not be the way I am. I would not have been a millionaire,” he said.
He says his eyesight is failing him as well as his legs.
Juma called on young musicians to manage their wealth better and diversify their investments.
“The most important thing is to invest so that they can have a comfortable life after music,” he said.
Edited by EKibii