Ken Okoth came along and left a mark

Once in a while, a man comes along and pleads the case of the widow, the orphan and the fatherless.

No child’s case will be left in a helpless state; something can be done to relieve the plight through education.

As they have come to view the child as their own, they generously share their own resources with those in greater need. If they get lucky — which some of them do — they get external funding and with it the helping hand is extended to more children.

Their good works do not go unnoticed for long, and they acquire a prominent status in society, to the admiration of children and adults alike.

In their quest for leaving no child behind, with the support of the community, they get voted into public office. With this comes an even greater hand that transforms hundreds of children’s lives for the better.

This once in a while man is what Ken Okoth exemplified. It didn’t matter to Ken Okoth his call to action to grant children an education would not bring the razzmatazz of a politician.

Children do not have a voice, a vote and cannot campaign to get you elected. After all, these are the cases of the voiceless and they can only thank you in hushed tones and when the matter comes to fruition.

Not so much for Ken, residents of Kibra mourned very publicly at the loss of their MP, yet celebrated that he saw their children through high school.

The word Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) has lost or never had any significance in some constituencies, not so in Kibra. Mothers bore testimonies of the considerable economic relief CDF bursaries have had on their lives.

Children bore witness, but for CDF through Ken Okoth, they would not have completed high school.

The constituency that is often dismissed for its lack of affluence has been rising to its feet by investing in its future through educating children.

Ken Okoth was not only a child advocate, but a visionary who acknowledged the transformative value of education he was privileged to have through sponsorship to Starehe Boys Centre.

In him, children found their champion for change and, in tandem, a place at the table in their careers and voice to speak for themselves and others in the future.

If ever there was a question of what should an MP epitomise, especially for children, Ken Okoth has left a blueprint for others to follow.

We can no longer accept that an MP’s role, as currently reflected, is all about claiming a higher salary and expenses with no visible or tangible change for hisher constituents — much ado about nothing!

There might not be much glory in fighting for the child in poverty, but you took your oath of office and made this your case. “I will bear true faith and allegiance to the People and the Republic of Kenya … I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge the duties of a Member of Parliament.”

Your allegiance as an MP is not to your party leader, the 2022 presidential candidate and yourself, which it is taking you away from your duties.

In honouring Ken Okoth, MPs ought to reflect on this oath with us in mind and give it the weight and respect it deserves.

Once in a while, a man comes along and changes the life of a child... for the better.