Senate Committee on Health member and nominated Senator Esther Okenyuri. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]
The National Heroes Council is exploring the possibility of having a monument installed at Manga in Kitutu, or Kisii town in honour of Abagusii's prophetess and medicine woman; Moraa Ng'iti.
The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage says it will be similar to Mekatilili wa Menza's monument in Malindi town in Kilifi County.
As a long-term plan, the Council recommends the construction of a County Heroes Square in Kisii County in which all the liberation heroes from the region would be honoured through the installation of monuments as well as permanent and seasonal thematic exhibitions.
The Ministry was responding to a Statement from Senator Esther Okenyuri raised in July 2023 in which she had requested a statement from the Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare regarding the neglect and marginalization of the Abagusii Community's role in the fight for independence.
Senator Okenyuri had requested the National Heroes Council to have the Abagusii Community Heroes and Heroines in the struggle of independence recognized and featured in the National Archives.
She wants the heroes and heroines led by Moraa Ng'iti among others also featured in the School Curriculum just like the likes of Mekatilili Wamenza of the Giriama Community.
This, she says will help the community and the Country connect history and ultimately motivate the Country about the future.
She says the Council should accomplish the desired commemoration of Moraa wa Ngi'iti and other Gusii liberation heroes like Prophet Sakawa, Otenyo Nyamaterere, Lawrence George Sagini, Chief Musa Nyandusi, Mokamba Nyamongo among others.
"I appreciate the effort that the National Heroes Council has placed a request for enhancement fund from the National treasury amounting to Sh20 Million within the financial year 2023/2024."
The Nominated Senator has also written to the National Heroes Council to have Moraa Ng'iti recognized and honoured as a National Heroine on October 20, 2023.
The Kenya Constitution 2010 acknowledges that the cultural activities and identities of the various Kenyan communities which date from the pre-colonial period have contributed to the fabric of Kenya's modern nationhood.
As such the heroism that was exhibited by the men and women who defended and promoted the welfare of their various communities in the pre-colonial period could be said to have inspired the contributions that were made by the various communities towards the struggle for Kenya's independence.
