On the backdrop of huge controversy over some of those given presidential awards on Jamhuri Day, with critics pointing out the country boasts of other deserving award winning sportsmen and women, talented doctors, passionate trade unionists, firm religious leaders.
Here’s a suggestion some of those who could merit to get the awards.
1. Edith Dorothy Ong’onda
Edith was in the group 170 Kenyan medical practitioners who traveled to Sierra Leone when the West African country was ravaged by Ebola in 2015. She contracted meningitis on while on assignment, before being admitted and airlifted back home sick. She died after weeks in various hospitals.
2.Dr Kakenya Ntaiya
In 2009, she founded Kakenya Center for Excellence to educate girls, end harmful traditional practices and uplift her Maasai community in Enoosaen – Narok County. For her role in changing the traditional path and life that involved FGM and early marriages, she has been celebrated among CNN Heroes, emerging a finalist.
3. Patrick Mwalua
He is a conservationist who has taken upon himself to provide water to starving wildlife at Taita Hills Sanctuary. Using his browsers, Mwalua delivers water to watering holes in the vast conservancy, helping preserve the wildlife that are a central pillar to the critical tourism sector.
4. Esther Neema Onyari
She lost her life in a school fire where she heroically risked the inferno to save other girls in September. Neema won the hearts of Kenyans for her actions that night. She later died besides eight colleagues.
5. Elijah Manangoi
After settling for silver medal at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, Elijah Manangoi,24, won gold this year in London last August. Earlier in the year, at the Monaco Diamond League, Manangoi set the fastest time in 1500m, crossing the line in 3:28.80. He was also nominated for the IAAF Male Athlete of the Year Award which he did not win but topped the online voting platform.
6. Bishop Cornelis Korir
The late Bishop of Eldoret Catholic Diocese played a key role in promoting peace in the North Rift. He will go down in history as a man who fought for peace and unity.
7.Mary Rapando
She is an IT wizard at Lwanya Girls Secondary and has helped her school emerge best regionally and second runners up in this year’s in Information Teacher of the Year Award (Itoya), an ICT competition for secondary schools.
8. Mary Makokha
The director of Rural Education and Economic Enhancement Programme (REEP), Ms Makokha has defended the girl child against sexual abuse and fought for their rights in Butula Constituency for over 10 years.
9. Hellen Obiri
The Kenya Defence Forces runner had a scintillating 2017 season and capped it with her first global title in her fourth attempt when she blew away Ethiopian defending champion, Almaz Ayana to bag 5,000m gold in 14:34.86 at the London World Championships. Obiri, 28, also added the IAAF Diamond League crown by winning the second series final in Brussels in 14:25.88 besides running world leads and national record of 14:18.37 (5000m) and 8:29.81 (3000m indoors) this year. She was also nominated for the IAAF Athlete of the Year Award.
10. Lusaka Laurence
He is a nurse at Port Victoria hospital in Budalang’i. He walked through the swamp for five days during polio campaign in Budalang’i to reach many children as possible and administer the vaccine.
