Kisoi son to repeat father’s feat of hoisting flag on Mt Kenya

By DANIEL NZIA

Machakos, Kenya: As the saying goes, history really does repeat itself.

On December 12,1963 renown mountaineer Kisoi Munyao wrote history that will forever remain in history books.

The late Munyao, then 25 years old, made history by climbing Mount Kenya to hoist the country’s independence flag that signaled the end of the colonial rule.

And 50 years later, his son Teddy Mutuku, 34, is writing history by climbing the same mountain to hoist another flag to commemorate the country’s Jubilee celebrations.

And like his late father who taught him mountaineering skills as a young boy, the young Kisoi will be accompanied by British mountaineers to accomplish the mission on December 12,2013.

As we went to Press, Kisoi was accompanied by world ranked mountaineers — Robert Chambers and Denis Rutovitz both of whom accompanied his late father in 1963 to the same mountain.

Batian Peak

The three are part of mountaineers who include KWS rangers among others trekking to hoist the national flag on Mt Kenya’s Point Batian to mark Kenya@50.

Speaking to The Standard after a training session on Kiima Kimwe (one hill) near Machakos town ahead of their trip the young Kisoi said he would be happy to wake up one day and come across a street named after his father.

The late Kisoi is celebrated for taking the national flag on Point Lenana, the third highest peak on Mt Kenya on the eve of December 12,1963.

“I would be happy to walk around and see a Kisoi Munyao street or road, not necessarily in Nairobi,” he added.

He says he learned climbing skills by accompanying his late father in scaling Kisau Hills in their Kisau village home in Makueni County. 

“I would occasionally join my father as he climbed the stony Kisau hills because I loved his style of doing it”, said the young Kisoi.

He likened mountain climbing above any other sport but was quick to warn of the high risks involved.

He admits that climbing gear and other related equipment are expensive in addition to the difficult task of getting a co-climber.

He says mountain climbers are a disciplined lot who use their fitness and determination to compete with the rocks they climb “but not amongst ourselves as colleagues.”

Kisoi is not new to serious mountain climbing and has been involved in a number of rescue missions and owes his success to his late father who encouraged him to join the sport.

The young Kisoi, who is a trained Mountain Rescue Officer, was among a group that took the country’s new Constitution document to Lenana tip during its promulgation in 2010.

But as Kenyans celebrate Kenya@50, his family and others whose put their lives at risk in the country’s struggle for freedom have nothing to celebrate for.

What he left behind from the authorities is a medal awarded to him by retired president Moi and a mausoleum constructed at his grave in his Kisau rural home in Mbooni East District by the Kibaki regime.

The mausoleum, which is today the property of the Kenya Government under the National Museums, was officially opened by former Vice President Moody Awori as a sign of appreciation.

The family feels the late Kisoi Munyao ought to have been rewarded for his sacrifice to the country by hoisting the national flag on the country’s independence day.

Speaking to The Standard, another son Michael Kisoi Munyao, took issue with former regimes for neglecting the old man despite his great sacrifice to the country. The young Kisoi, who is also the Mbooni MP, recalls with nostalgia how his father struggled to climb the mountain at a time it was off season for mountain climbing.

Climbing gear

“My father told me he climbed the mountain carrying climbing gear whose weight was about 50kgs through a muddy road as it was during the December rainy season”, he said. He said his father’s pride after hoisting the flag was that he had done the country proud. The young Kisoi believes the Kenyatta and Moi governments should have appreciated the important role the old man played and honoured him greatly wondering why they failed to do so yet the appreciated his achievement.

But the MP says his father was not greedy. He remembers his declining an offer for land in Nakuru by retired president Moi saying his service to the nation was for free.

“I never wanted any payment for climbing Mt Kenya to hoist the country’s independence flag,” the young Kisoi remembers his father telling him.

The Mbooni MP takes pride in his father’s encouragement to his children to strive to be independent rather than depend on others.

“He used to tell us to work hard so that when we grow up we have something for ourselves from our own sweat.

Kisoi has promised to carry his father’s dream to the sky by selflessly serving Mbooni people and the country at large.

“Just like my father left a mark no one will achieve, I want to remain focused and emulate his amazing level of sacrifice to his country and make him a proud father in his death”, said the MP.

He lamented the country is fond of ‘neglecting’ heroes and called for a policy that would see those who carry the country’s flag high in their own different ways rewarded handsomely.

His widow Joyce Katutu Kisoi recalls how her husband could take her through his experience in climbing the mountain to hoist the flag until she shed tears.

She would ask him why he chose to climb such a dangerous mountain without any payment and he would respond by saying he was proud of what he did for the country for free.

Back at the late Kisoi’s rural home, the Government has organised a celebration to mark Mashujaa Day with a visit to his mausoleum.

Mbooni East DC Fred Shisia said arrangements for the event at the celebrated hero were complete and urged wananchi to turn out in large numbers to honour him.