Despite 2020 being a devastating year due to the pandemic, some Kenyans made us proud. But others had time to spare from fighting coronavirus to make the country cringe. Cringe in fear and shame.
However they made us feel, the men and women in this list elicited different emotions in all of us.
The list, compiled by different editors and writers, is by no means exhaustive. But it is a window into the soul of a country in an year many would like to forget.
He burst to the political scene due to notoriety and this year, was punished because of the same. And his goose was cooked in December when he was kicked out of office after three years of drama.
From allegations of denying genuine students in Nairobi County bursaries to sexually molesting women at the county to flying his daughter on the first class to New York disguised as a ward representative, witnesses at his impeachment, pressured by the State, convinced the senate to send him home.
He now risks not being cleared to run for any elective seat in the country after IEBC’s pronouncement on Wednesday.
Impeached Nairobi governor Mike Sonko.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Mid this year, Mr Sonko shocked the nation when he claimed that the ‘system’ served him alcoholic drinks ahead of the signing ceremony of the Deed of Transfer of key functions of the Nairobi country government to the newly created Nairobi Metropolitan Service at State House, Nairobi.
The ousted Nairobi Governor Gideon Mbuvi Kioko was born in Mombasa on February 27, 1975. Mr Sonko has led a dramatic life, both private and public.
Rising from a shrewd businessman to a lawmaker, Mr Sonko’s political journey has been controversial. From punching walls, leaking explicit photos to drunken stupors, Mr Sonko has exemplified the bad and ugly of politics.
He has thrown stones and punched his detractors. But this year, his troubles started following accusations that he was involved in a scheme of grabbing land from a widow worth millions of shillings and ended up costing him his seat as the governor or Kiambu.
Following graft charges leveled against him, Mr Waititu was impeached and lost his seat as the Governor of Kiambu County on January 29, 2020 through a trial by the Senate.
Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu at Michuki Park in Nairobi on December 29, 2020.
Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group
Ferdinand Ndungu Waititu, aka Baba Yao, served as the second governor of Kiambu County from 2017 to January 2020.
In October last year, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji requested that Mr Waititu who was said to be indisposed since August 30 to undergo a mental assessment.
Through his assistants Victor Mule and Joseph Riungu, Mr Haji urged a Nairobi court to order a mental assessment for the former governor, saying he intended to have his bail cancelled for failure to appear for the hearing of his Sh588 million graft case for the second time.
On Wednesday, he suffered a setback in his quest to replace Mr Sonko as Nairobi Governor after the IEBC vowed not to clear any impeached individuals on abuse of office charges.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino is not new to controversies. Early last year (2020), the first term legislator was arrested for shooting an unarmed nightclub DJ, Mr Felix Orinda aka DJ Evolve at a local bar in Kilimani area in Nairobi.
Mr Owino, whose real name is Paul Ongili was charged with attempted murder and is currently out on bail pending completion of the case.
The MP is known to throw acidic jibes at his critics online, to the chagrin of social media users.
Born on October 10, 1989 in Kisumu, Mr Owino, the Embakasi East MP gained popularity during his days as the Chairman of Students Organisation of Nairobi University (SONU).
For Migori Governor Zachary Okoth Obado, some politicians have been attempting to put him in the jaws of a crocodile. The governor, is also on trial for the murder of a pregnant Sharon Otieno, who until her gruesome death was a student at Rongo University.
This year, he was on the spot over corruption allegations but even ODM, the party which sponsored him in the last election, could not impeach him.
The party would later coil its tails, in total disregard of the public and some local leaders who accused the Governor of perpetuating corruption in the County.
Migori Governor Okoth Obado addresses journalists at his Rapogi home on September 9, 2020.
Photo credit: Tonny Omondi | Nation Media Group
Mr Obado was barred from accessing his office pending the conclusion of his corruption trial.
This meant that the Governor would not be able to transact any business on behalf of the country locally and internationally.
However, Mr Obado recently, in a shocking move even went ahead to reshuffle his cabinet, an indication he was still fully in control of the County.
For John Koyi Waluke, June 25, 2020, will forever remain memorable but for all the bad reasons. He was found guilty of a Sh314 million maize import fraud.
Prior to the fraud case that resulted in his conviction this week, Mr Waluke was largely known for his political battles especially in Bungoma where he desperately sought election to Parliament for many years.
Sirisia MP John Waluke at the Milimani Anti-corruption Court in Nairobi on June 25, 2020 on a charge of fraudulently receiving over Sh300 million from the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB).
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
He had made several attempts to win the Sirisia parliamentary seat but unseating then Cabinet minister Moses Wetang’ula proved a hard task.
His quest was successful in 2013, winning the Sirisia constituency seat on an ODM ticket, then the popular party in Bungoma and the larger Western Kenya. He defended the seat in 2017 but this time on a Jubilee ticket against ODM, ANC and Ford-Kenya wave in the region.
A scion of the prominent Awori family, which has produced a Vice-President in Kenya (Moody Awori), and an MP in Uganda, Ms Wakhungu, mother to former Environment Cabinet Secretary Judi Wakhungu, was jailed for 69 years in jail or a Sh707 million fine for the maize import fraud.
Grace Wakhungu at a Nairobi court on November 13, 2019 over a Sh297 million maize scandal.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
The larger Awori family raised a whopping Sh800 million in a bid to secure the freedom of one of their own. But not before Wakhungu, 79 is languished at the Lang’ata Women Prison before they were released on bail.
A school dropout whose rise to power came to an abrupt end in 2019, Rashid Echesa, the former sports cabinet secretary attracted news in 2020 after he was linked to the fake multi-billion-shilling military equipment tender.
Mr Echesa, who was charged in court but denied all the charges levelled against him, was accused of obtaining Sh11.5 million from a company by the name of Kozlowski Stanley Bruno by purporting that they will award him with a tender to supply military equipment.
The scandal also led to the death of Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei, an AP officer attached to the office of the deputy president.
Earlier in 2019, Mr Echesa was arrested alongside Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala over the killing of criminal gangs in Matungu village which claimed 18 lives.
After his arrest, Mr Echesa went to court to accuse the DCI of frustrating and harassing him.
Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Mr Echesa’s name became the talk of town after President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated him to the Sports ministry in 2018, when many questioned his ability to step into the shoes of his predecessor Hassan Wario in a docket that had been marred by numerous scandals.
His critics claimed that he was a class seven dropout, questioning his skills to run the Sports Ministry.
But when he appeared before the vetting committee, Mr Echesa said he came from a poverty-stricken family where his parents could not afford to educate him and his seven siblings.
The committee however, approved his appointment despite his questionable academic qualifications.
