Narok Senator Ledama Olekina has lamented missing out on a State Honour during the 59th Jamhuri Day celebrations after his name was pulled from the list.
President William Ruto on Monday feted 483 Kenyans at State House, Nairobi, for their outstanding service to the country in different capacities.
Ledama says he was rightly nominated for a State Honour but his name did not appear on the final gazetted list.
Senator Olekina said the Joint Secretariat Honors Committee approached him and informed him of his nomination but a petition to block it was immediately filed.
“I was involved in the process, I was called and told that I have been nominated, to share my information and everything. The Joint Secretariat on Conferment of Honors should have written back to me and said there has been a petition that has been raised on your matter, you should come and defend yourself,” Olekina decried.
According to the Senator, the Kenya Kwanza team led by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula orchestrated his removal.
Olekina believes Wetangula and co. blocked his nomination over the spectacle he caused at the Bomas of Kenya during the announcement of the presidential election results in August 2022. He called them out for “being so petty”.
“I was nominated to receive honours of the Chief of the Burning Spear because of my work and my position in Parliament by the Joint Secretariat. But because of the incident at the Bomas of Kenya, a petition was engineered and I was removed by the Kenya Kwanza team led by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula who sat there and said that I caused mayhem so I should not be honoured,” he told Citizen TV.
Olekina argued that his alleged misconduct should not be sufficient grounds to deny him a national honour.
“Everybody saw what happened. I never caused any violence at Bomas,” said the Narok Senator.
He noted that there are Kenyans who have been feted while having pending cases in court, including President William Ruto.
“It then beats the question, other people have been taken to Hague like the President and he is an (EHG) Elder of the Golden Heart and (CGH) Chief of the Golden Heart. And in 2007, Ruto was asking the same question I am asking now but because of being petty and letting power get into your head you now say that you will not honour him for the work.”
Senator Olekina missed out on the final list of ‘State Heroes’ alongside Senate Deputy Majority leader Tabitha Keroche who was nominated for a Moran of the Golden Heart (MGH) medal, Senate Minority leader Stewart Madzayo ( Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart, EGH) and Deputy Senate Majority Whip Lelelgwe Ltumbesi (Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear, CBS).
