He has raised thousands of books for more than 60 primary schools, which have benefitted thousands of pupils. He has started village ICT training centres for many who had never seen a computer.
This young man has achieved more than any Kenyan politician has done at this tender age despite his very humble background. His grandfather was a squatter. His father, Moses Gatobu, a secondary school teacher, went to a simple high school (Miathene) in Meru; and his mother, Agnes Kinya Gatobu, joined a diploma teacher training college after giving birth to Kinoti, leaving him in the care of his Aunt, Gladys Njiiru.
He is everything you like to see in a leader; youthful, humble, selfless, determined, pro-people, visionary. He is true testimony to the youth and those not endowed with money, that it is possible to make it as a politician; he will inspire many to go for political office.
Many thanks to the voters of Buuri and his hard working campaign committee for appreciating him as the great blessing that he is to them, Meru and Kenya. Thanks also to those media houses that told his
story before and after the elections; they contributed to his celebrity status. And to Mwenda Thuranira and his Unique Homes Magazine team for giving him a home to utilise his excellent writing skills. Most importantly, Kenya must thank Gatobu’s parents for allowing him to be himself.
Few, if any parents, will let their child take to volunteering after investing almost all they had in his education. His sister Doreen Karimi and wife Carol Nkirote did not lose patience and faith in Gatobu. For their understanding, the entire family is so much the better.
As long as he is ready to learn, is realistic about what is possible, stays in touch with his constituents while utilising available national and donor resources efficiently and transparently, Gatobu is the type of MP who will be hard to remove.
Already he has a network of donors he can count on for support and as an MP has the legitimacy to seek out more. They will support his projects because he has proved that he is not the type to steal public resources; instead, he donates his own resources and time. He will be an exemplary debater and writer and a great mobiliser of youth and the rest of his constituents.
Having had so much faith in him as a young boy, the people of Buuri have more than enough reason not to let him slip away from their midst; in him they have a true jewel. They should be in no hurry to experiment with the untested. If they have him as their MP for another twenty years, at fourty-six, he will have enough experience and record to justify going for the Presidency.
I hope that the University of Nairobi where he studied will find this great Kenyan worthy of an honorary doctorate. What a young man!
This is an excerpt of an opinion piece written by Kilemi Mwiria for The Standard newspaper.
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