Mboya family appeals for improved security at his mausoleum

The family of the late Thomas Joseph Mboya has appealed to the Government to provide adequate security for the freedom hero’s mausoleum following rising insecurity in parts of the country.

According to Mboya’s brother, Paul Ndiege, the family of the former leading trade unionist is worried that some criminals may take advantage of the insecurity to vandalise and steal the historical artifacts displayed in the building.

The monument in Rusinga Island of Homa Bay County was built after Mboya’s assassination on July 5, 1969.

Ndiege accused the Government of failing to recognise the independence champion by not doing enough to maintain the structure put up in his honour.

“The family is worried about the important items, particularly artifacts belonging to the late Tom Mboya, which are kept in the mausoleum. We have been spotting some strange personalities around the compound but because the mausoleum is a free place for all, there is not much we can do. “However, I think it’s up to the Government to provide adequate security befitting the fallen hero’s status in the society,” said Ndiege.

Immediate action

Speaking to The Standard on Sunday at his Rusinga home, Ndiege, said the building had not been refurbished since it was built. “We have been having talks with the Government on issues concerning the renovation and protection of the mausoleum.

“Visitors from around the world come to visit Mboya’s birthplace, and it is disappointing that find the place, especially the building and its environs, unkempt. This is why we are appealing for immediate action from the Government.”

Ndiege also decried the poor state of the road leading to the hero’s home. “The dilapidated road from Mbita Point, which is also one of the biggest trading centres in this area, has greatly contributed to the low number of investors and low trade volumes,” he said.

Some of the investments that are said to have stalled include the Rusinga Lodge, an airstrip, an archeological site and fish landing centres.

Tom Mboya was famous for his involvement in the trade union movement in the 1950s, and serving as the Member of Parliament for Makadara constituency. He was appointed minister for Constitutional Affairs in independent Kenya’s first Cabinet, and then moved to the Ministry of Planning at the age of 30.

His life was cut short by a bullet at the age of 39 along Nairobi’s Moi Avenue, then known as Government Road.