Ojode family marks his 5th death anniversary

The family and friends of former Internal Security Assistant Minister Joshua Orwa Ojode mark the fifth anniversary of his death this Saturday.
Ojode died in Kibiku, Ngong Forest, on June 10, 2012 in a plane crash that also claimed the lives of then-Minister for Internal Security George Saitoti and another four state officials.
The six were on their way to a fundraiser at St Mary’s Catholic Church, Nyarongi, in Ndhiwa constituency, then represented in Parliament by Ojode.
Widow Mary Ojode on Thursday said

the anniversary will be held at her home in Unga village, Kanyamwa-Kosewe ward.
Five years later, it is not clear what might have caused the accident. In an interview at her home, Mary said she had not received any briefing from the government on what caused the accident in which her husband died.
“The incident was very sad. It’s difficult to forget. I don’t want anything that can create that memory again because my husband died a few minutes after leaving my house,” she said.
Ojode was first elected to Parliament in 1994 in a by-election on the Ford Kenya ticket. This came after then-MP Tom Obondo defected from the party to Kanu.
He used his political vigour to retain the seat in 1997 on the NDP ticket, 2002 on the LDP ticket and 2007 on the ODM ticket.
Ojode was one of the most popular politicians in Nyanza. His fame earned him the nickname Sirkal

— a contorted version of the Kiswahili word for government.
Residents remember him for his development projects, particularly the establishment of Sukari Industry Ltd.