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It must have been around January of 2003 when I first met George Paul Owen Oulu (shortly referred to as Oulu GPO,) He was a first year then at the university of Nairobi kikuyu campus. He was a very jovial guy, free and confident unlike other freshers who always looked intimidated by the new university environment. I was in the first semester of my third year. We had declared that we needed revival of the student organization of Nairobi University {SONU} after it having been disbanded in 2000.so it was a great risk we had taken to be on the frontline agitating for this. For a first year it was so courageous of him and I once noted it and told him I couldn’t believe he was a fresher given his guts in addressing people who had by then spent more years at the university. I know all agitators of change are scared now (I included) but in spite of my mourning I believe as a writer I got a lot to write about my brother and comrade GPO.
When elections were later called on 7th march 2003, GPO emerged the winner as the campus representative for kikuyu campus whereas I was elected the vice chairman (academic affairs) thanks to him having helped me campaign in vote rich kikuyu campus. Therefore we became members of the SONU executive together with the following elected
Chairman Tedd Munovi,
Vice Chairman Academic Affairs-Fwamba NC Fwamba
Vice Chairman Administration-Koome Wa Mburugu
Secretary General-Makokha Wanjala
Organizing Secretary-Mwengi Mutuse
Treasurer-Tabitha Wainaina
Secretary Legal Affairs-Cornelius Lupao
Secretary Health-Dr.Onkoba Marube (Now Deceased)
Secretary for Sports/Entertainment-Juma Jombi
Secretary Gender Affairs –Purity Mukami
Campus Representative College Of Architecture and Engineering-Opata Kopata
Campus Representative College Of Humanities and Social Sciences (Main Campus)-Ngaruiya John Kamau (Later Elected Sonu Chairman)
College of Education and External Studies-(The late) Oulu GPO (Was Later Elected Sonu Vice Chairman)
Lower Kabete Campus-James Oluoch
Medical School Campus (College Of Health Sciences)-Dr.Brian Lishenga
Parklands Campus (Law School)-Gitau Gitonga
Upper Kabete Campus-Nelson Indimuli
Chiromo Campus-Nemwel Machuki (Was Later Elected Sonu Vice Chairman, Then Chairman)
That constituted the SONU executive (like SONU cabinet)
During that tenure we worked well with GPO since just like me he was a man who believed in transparency and was on the frontline in fighting corruption among student leaders and the university administration. The congress (student parliament) elected me the chairman of Public accounts committee. In that docket I got a lot of strength from GPO because he always stood by what was right. I even know today that if GPO was in Kenyan parliament, he would be amongst the 22 MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.
In subsequent SONU elections I remember GPO as the most popular candidate, who used minimal resources but emerged as the winner in his docket and one with the highest margin of victory than any other member of the executive I remember as David Okindo used to joke about it all the time that when we went to campaign in Kikuyu campus, students could sing and shout GPO, GPO, GPO CONTINUOSLY without tiring regardless of who was talking. Any candidate could chant comrades’ power!!!The crowd answered GPO.Kikuyu campus was a GPO zone. it was beyond any doubt that GPO was VERY POPULAR THERE.I remember one of the last campaigns when I delayed to arrive, for the Kamukunji, Ken Orengo, Brian Lishenga, Kingwa Kamencu and Ngaruiya KJ(who were vying against me for the position of chairman)GPO himself had talked.GPO had kept the crowd waiting for me with David Okindo on the podium. When I arrived I could only see crowds singing GPO, GPO, GPO, .it was one of my most fantastic days of my campaign. We all knew that we all had supporters there but GPO had followers.
We later developed a good liking for the American rhetoric which were produced by Wafula Buke then and I distributed them at a commission from Buke.the most interesting part was the message to the grassroots where Malcolm X mocks ‘the big six’ about ‘THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON’ when Malcolm X says ‘then old tom said ‘boss I cant stop it because I never started it’ that is obviously what we would have joked about if we met on that evening of 5th march 2009 when GPO was assassinated in cold blood with the founder the Oscar Foundation.
GPO stood for the down trodden all his life especially during the time I have known him. I remember him being suspended from the university for three years for complaining against arbitrary fees increments without the university authorities caring about the peasantry background of the majority of bright university students who are usually admitted through the Joint Admissions Board.
GPO was a real comrade. He was one person you could always count on at the hour of need. As I write this I find it difficult to control my tears.
At some point together with Ken Orengo, Nemwel Machuki, GPO, Kingwa Kamencu and I helped sensitize university of Nairobi students after they had a student election rigged in favour of puppets as leaders of the union. This is when I met Isaac Otidi Amuke, one of GPO’s greatest friends too, mamluki, sissey Marvin and Susan Chege.
In recent past I remember him being one of the first people who came to central police station immediately word went around that Philo Ikonya, Patrick Kamotho and I had been arrested and beaten by the brutal police.
The following morning of 19th Feb. 2009, GPO called me and said ‘boss, its good you are fighting corruption, you just made my spirit stronger when I was just about to give up’ and I told him ‘boss we need to be patriotic enough and cause real change corruption is a serious disease in this country’.
Before the maize demonstration I asked GPO if he was going to commemorate the 44th anniversary of Malcolm Xs assassination on 21st Feb. he said the idea was great since to him just like me, Malcolm X was a great symbol of struggle for freedom justice and equality. But the whole issue was changed because on that week I got arrested demonstrating against corruption and food insecurity in the country.
I Met GPO on 22nd and he joked about our demonstration saying we would have mobilized more people. I laughed and told him what was important was the message, not necessarily big crowds. I was with Philo whom I reminded that it’s GPO who had introduced me to her back in 2007 at the Norfolk hotel during one of the civil society functions organized by the youth agenda whose CEO was Kepta Ombati then. Other prominent youth leaders had been around too like Cyprian Nyamwamu, Ndolo Asasa, Kingwa Kamencu and others.
On the tragic day while sitting with Ken Orengo, Martin Nkari and jimmy Nyikuli, Patrick Kokonya and Jeremy Oloo, I thought of talking to GPO, I called him and said’ boss, why don’t we meet, I would like us to meet’. He told me that he was on ngong road and he was going to call me immediately he got to town. So I waited for his call. At around 5pm, I called again and he told me he was on the way. When it got late I decided to call Kamotho so that we could have coffee together. We thought of going home then while on the way along Koinange street I got a call from Kelly musyoka.So I left Orengo,Martin and jimmy then together with Kamotho we joined gaceke,odipo and Kelly whom we had been with earlier.gaceke received a phone call from George Nyongesa who informed that some people had been shot at the university. as I moved out of kikwetu I got a call from philo Ikonya who asked me if I had heard anything about GPO,I told her I had just talked to him wanted for him but I was going home because he hadn’t shown up. I assumed he got busy with something else.Philo told me Kingwa had told her GPO might have been harmed, that he might have been shot. I called Kingwa right away who told me GPO had been shot. But she didn’t sound so certain. I got worried and asked George Nyongesa who told me he was at the scene at the university and GPO had BEEN shot…DEAD!!!I broke down in town, Kamotho tried to calm me down. I was with Kamotho all that time. March 5TH 2009 was one of the worst days in my life since I was born.
, The ever happy GPO, The man full of jokes, the man full of wisdom is gone, gone.
Rest in Peace GPO, You are my man…
Showing posts with label sonu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sonu. Show all posts
Thursday, December 17, 2009
BY MAKOKHA WANJALA:REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF OULU GPO
REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF OULU GPO
Generations after us will always ask who Oulu GPO was. Our answers will be varied depending on which side of which side of the game we played. For me I had the opportune of seeing Oulu at close range. He served in the same student government as I did. He was at that time the Campus Rep Kikuyu campus. I recall during my own campaigns when I had been threatened by the Summit in Kikuyu that I was not going to be able to address the last Kamukunji…. It was GPO who came to my rescue. In fact I recall vividly that my clarion call of the right to be heard does not include to the right to be taken seriously was coined then.
GPO was to be a regular in our student parliament chaired by Mr. Speaker the Hon. Daktari Murage. He had problems with this thing of collective responsibility and many times though speaking from the executive benches he spoke more or less like an independent minded Member of Parliament. My memory could fail but I faintly recall that he must have joined forces with Fwamba when the latter wanted to Head PAC and PIC committees yet he was the Deputy SONU President. We went through a whole a year with our struggles sometimes serving students and at other times regrettably we served ourselves. Oulu was no angel; he too made his fair share of mistakes then. His mistakes however never took him away from a ground of fighting for human rights.
We must have been with Oulu in Mbarara University when SONU went calling for a two weeks seminar. There like anyone who has been out of the country we all became patriotic defending the nation. Many of us retired from student service when GPO upped up his scale to the position of vice-chairperson. Personally when I took up employment with the University, Oulu sought me out and I had to explain to him. The upshot is that I had taken up a job for which I was qualified and had gone through the interview process. I do not pretend that those who interviewed me were not known to me before hand but their decision remains theirs only.
When he earned a suspension from the University, Oulu joined a group of a few but very dedicated individuals who believe injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. That he had fallen out with university management was remarkable, but that he had fallen out with a regime that is headed by his tribesman was truly inspirational. I was at the inauguration of SONU officials where the University management ordered security to make Oulu leave. Oulu had come dressed in a white suit, and he joined in coming straight to main dais. As he was escorted out I wondered whether or not his white suit was not symbolic. It was. It reminded us of two things that the silence of the current students had combined with the leadership of the institution in choosing a very dark colour by repelling the white suit Oulu had carefully chosen for the day.
As with all suspensions, the management granted amnesty and Oulu was readmitted back but of course with a condition that he never vies for a SONU position. I thought Oulu would not accept such injustice and in fact when he reported to campus I sought him out. His response lingers on. He intimated that he had discovered the University was such a small theater in which to fight for human rights. He had expanded his horizon to the nation. He had joined the human rights forum at the national front. His horizon was bigger and UON had receded and he saw no reason to cry over a microcosm. But he maintained an active role and interest in student affairs. Tragedy would have it that at time of his death Oulu was still a student at UON. In a way the journey to a degree parallels his fight for human rights. Both the struggles stalled mid term.
As fate would have it, I could not be at his graveside to witness the journey of Oulu back to the earth. I had shared many struggles with him that it was painful not to be there and participate in the ceremonies of burying yet again picking the baton from this gallant son of Kenya. Twin fateful coincidence was that on the same day I was laying to rest the remains of another great Kenyan. My Dad. The phonecall that Oulu had passed on way relayed to me by Lillian. She had seen a news flash that a former student leader had been gunned down. She had assumed it was me. Not long later Mbogori called and asked me to clarify at least to my friends that I had not been gunned down. I placed a call to Fwamba and the sad news weighed in that our GPO was no more. Much of the following hours were spent on phone relaying and at times confirming that indeed Oulu had gone before us.
This morning as I looked at my Album I was astounded to see a photograph of myself, Oulu and Hussein Ali. It occurred to me that at the Machakos retreat for new SONU leaders Oulu had come so close to man whose boys would later be accused of slaying him in cold blood. It has never been concluded and I know stories of vanguards never escape ambiguity. We will never know for sure who killed Osar Kang’ara and Oulu but we can use a method of interpolation to at least arrive at a culpable group.
As his birthday anniversary comes up this week, it behoves all of to remember that God allowed us to eulogize this great soul so that we can pick up the battle. A careful reading of the bible has led me to conclude that God never works through committees. There is no task greater than one person. What Oulu was fighting for falls on your shoulders as an individual, pick up the task for you are equal to it. Among my friends who would make a cabal around me but who have proceeded before us is another strong and determined medical doctor Onkoba Marube. He too was in the same SONU cabinet. God may be calling on us but those who remain must as always carry on. I will mourn the twin coincidence of the deaths of Oulu and my Dad in fruitful knowledge that in their company I learnt much. I reserve these words for my Comrade Oulu.
“GPO, you will be remembered as a man who had a presence of mind to overcome his immediate challenges of seeking education, looking for rent, looking for money for ailing parents,
As a man whose debilitating poverty was no reason to take a shortcut to wealth.
As a man who though not eloquent was succinctly clear on what was important not for his being but for the unborn generation of Kenyans.
We will remember you not because we choose to, not because it is an honour but because in facing and securing a better future for Kenya’s children we see you everywhere. Personally I see you in any quest for justice.
Go ye… in remembrance of those before us who did so much and paid the ultimate in a quest for a better life for our children to play our various roles in shaping the nation
Generations after us will always ask who Oulu GPO was. Our answers will be varied depending on which side of which side of the game we played. For me I had the opportune of seeing Oulu at close range. He served in the same student government as I did. He was at that time the Campus Rep Kikuyu campus. I recall during my own campaigns when I had been threatened by the Summit in Kikuyu that I was not going to be able to address the last Kamukunji…. It was GPO who came to my rescue. In fact I recall vividly that my clarion call of the right to be heard does not include to the right to be taken seriously was coined then.
GPO was to be a regular in our student parliament chaired by Mr. Speaker the Hon. Daktari Murage. He had problems with this thing of collective responsibility and many times though speaking from the executive benches he spoke more or less like an independent minded Member of Parliament. My memory could fail but I faintly recall that he must have joined forces with Fwamba when the latter wanted to Head PAC and PIC committees yet he was the Deputy SONU President. We went through a whole a year with our struggles sometimes serving students and at other times regrettably we served ourselves. Oulu was no angel; he too made his fair share of mistakes then. His mistakes however never took him away from a ground of fighting for human rights.
We must have been with Oulu in Mbarara University when SONU went calling for a two weeks seminar. There like anyone who has been out of the country we all became patriotic defending the nation. Many of us retired from student service when GPO upped up his scale to the position of vice-chairperson. Personally when I took up employment with the University, Oulu sought me out and I had to explain to him. The upshot is that I had taken up a job for which I was qualified and had gone through the interview process. I do not pretend that those who interviewed me were not known to me before hand but their decision remains theirs only.
When he earned a suspension from the University, Oulu joined a group of a few but very dedicated individuals who believe injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. That he had fallen out with university management was remarkable, but that he had fallen out with a regime that is headed by his tribesman was truly inspirational. I was at the inauguration of SONU officials where the University management ordered security to make Oulu leave. Oulu had come dressed in a white suit, and he joined in coming straight to main dais. As he was escorted out I wondered whether or not his white suit was not symbolic. It was. It reminded us of two things that the silence of the current students had combined with the leadership of the institution in choosing a very dark colour by repelling the white suit Oulu had carefully chosen for the day.
As with all suspensions, the management granted amnesty and Oulu was readmitted back but of course with a condition that he never vies for a SONU position. I thought Oulu would not accept such injustice and in fact when he reported to campus I sought him out. His response lingers on. He intimated that he had discovered the University was such a small theater in which to fight for human rights. He had expanded his horizon to the nation. He had joined the human rights forum at the national front. His horizon was bigger and UON had receded and he saw no reason to cry over a microcosm. But he maintained an active role and interest in student affairs. Tragedy would have it that at time of his death Oulu was still a student at UON. In a way the journey to a degree parallels his fight for human rights. Both the struggles stalled mid term.
As fate would have it, I could not be at his graveside to witness the journey of Oulu back to the earth. I had shared many struggles with him that it was painful not to be there and participate in the ceremonies of burying yet again picking the baton from this gallant son of Kenya. Twin fateful coincidence was that on the same day I was laying to rest the remains of another great Kenyan. My Dad. The phonecall that Oulu had passed on way relayed to me by Lillian. She had seen a news flash that a former student leader had been gunned down. She had assumed it was me. Not long later Mbogori called and asked me to clarify at least to my friends that I had not been gunned down. I placed a call to Fwamba and the sad news weighed in that our GPO was no more. Much of the following hours were spent on phone relaying and at times confirming that indeed Oulu had gone before us.
This morning as I looked at my Album I was astounded to see a photograph of myself, Oulu and Hussein Ali. It occurred to me that at the Machakos retreat for new SONU leaders Oulu had come so close to man whose boys would later be accused of slaying him in cold blood. It has never been concluded and I know stories of vanguards never escape ambiguity. We will never know for sure who killed Osar Kang’ara and Oulu but we can use a method of interpolation to at least arrive at a culpable group.
As his birthday anniversary comes up this week, it behoves all of to remember that God allowed us to eulogize this great soul so that we can pick up the battle. A careful reading of the bible has led me to conclude that God never works through committees. There is no task greater than one person. What Oulu was fighting for falls on your shoulders as an individual, pick up the task for you are equal to it. Among my friends who would make a cabal around me but who have proceeded before us is another strong and determined medical doctor Onkoba Marube. He too was in the same SONU cabinet. God may be calling on us but those who remain must as always carry on. I will mourn the twin coincidence of the deaths of Oulu and my Dad in fruitful knowledge that in their company I learnt much. I reserve these words for my Comrade Oulu.
“GPO, you will be remembered as a man who had a presence of mind to overcome his immediate challenges of seeking education, looking for rent, looking for money for ailing parents,
As a man whose debilitating poverty was no reason to take a shortcut to wealth.
As a man who though not eloquent was succinctly clear on what was important not for his being but for the unborn generation of Kenyans.
We will remember you not because we choose to, not because it is an honour but because in facing and securing a better future for Kenya’s children we see you everywhere. Personally I see you in any quest for justice.
Go ye… in remembrance of those before us who did so much and paid the ultimate in a quest for a better life for our children to play our various roles in shaping the nation
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