Mashujaa Day, which was colourfully celebrated on Sunday, is an exceptional Kenyan moment for tracing our collective journey and heroism, since the country attained its Independence in 1963.
The heroism day has come with the long-standing State practice of honouring all those who have played a pivotal role in nation-building through exemplary acts such as Eliud Kipchoge's recent phenomenal success with the INEOS singly athletic challenge in Vienna, Austria.
But while this continued effort by the government to recognise and honour local heroes and heroines is applaudable, the exercise has not been free from controversy and disappointment.
There is a nagging concern that some of those who are feted as national greats contrarily are people who appear to be completely unqualified for the heroism status, irrespective of their peculiar and short-lived celebrity positions in society.
The foregoing setback has unfortunately neglected various heroes and heroines; some of whom have passed away without getting any State recognition or honour in their lifetime, whereas their impact is still profoundly felt in every corner of this vast country.
We can talk of iconic heroes such as Dedan Kimathi, Martin Shikuku and Kenneth Matiba. As a legislator and Assistant Minister from Garissa during the country's golden age, Abdi Aress Mohamed (now deceased) once challenged the government of President Jomo Kenyatta to show urgent diligence in honouring the families of Mau Mau heroes, including Kimathi.
However, the legislator was unaware that he would be subjected to similar obscurity and lack of recognition decades after his untainted and honourable exit from power in 1983.
During his tenure, Aress built major development projects in Garissa such as the biggest public hospital facility—Garissa Provincial General and Referral Hospital — KMTC Garissa branch, Garissa Provincial Library, schools and several infrastructural and social amenities.
More importantly, he joined the list of those who were locally and nationally obscured as a result of their frightening vision and mission for social, economic and political justice in which he also shied away from the morally depraved path of misusing public office as a conduit for empire-building through corruption, cronyism and self-enrichment.
Many Kenyans are also much aware that there were instances when the government mishandled our intellectual heroes and heroines such as the late Professor Ali Mazrui, Ngugi Wa Thiongo and Wangari Mathaai, the renowned environmentalist and founder of the Green Belt Movement that saved Karura Forest and other environmental zones in Kenya and beyond.
The State continued to portray such intellectuals as "enemies" until the outside world variedly recognised their wonderful contributions and restored their dignity before the same could be tried locally.
That said, there is a glad tiding that the government of the day is set to better the way it picks heroes and heroines in the country.
I hope the move will set high standards in determining who can become a hero or heroine in our country and forever put to an end the corrosive norm where we see that when "hyenas" are in power they largely recognise their fellow hyenas and attendant scoundrels as heroes and heroines at the expense of real legends, both living and deceased.
