By Benson Maisori
Tribute to Comrade Linus Emmanuel Mutiga Gitobu!
Fellow countrymen! As we celebrate the swearing in of President Uhuru Kenyatta to serve his final five year term as President of the republic of Kenya, as a person I have nothing to celebrate about. The passing on of my great comrade, brother and friend, the great Sonu Chairman ( 2005-2006), Comrade Mutiga Gitobu has shredded my heart into pieces! We joined the University of Nairobi on 7th October 2002 as freshers and within two days I met Mutiga Gitobu who i learnt immediately had a unique magnetic appeal, charisma and a compelling personality.
I later learnt that Mutiga had been the school Captain of Nkubu High School and because there were hundreds of former school mates from that school, Mutiga’s popularity in campus was expected. Every single time I met Mutiga he was in a huge company of Ameru people who flocked his campus room in Hall 9. I became part of this group and naturally we clicked because we shared so much in common.
In the lecture halls, Mutiga Gitobu was a genius. The way he grasped concepts and unpacked them left several wowed. I actually remember that Mutiga got 12As out 12 in our first year.
In our second year, Mutiga contested for Main Campus seat in SONU vying against another great genius, comrade and friend Comrade Washington Sirikal ( Washington Ouma). I was unable to make a a decision on who to support between these great minds. Finally, Mutiga won in that contest becoming a vibrant, radical and firebrand leader who at one time stormed the University Council meeting and grabbed the minutes of the Council proceedings. He called Students to gather at kamukunji grounds and read the minutes to us and later pinned them on the notice board outside SWA offices. The ensuing hullabaloo caused the immediate closure of the University and Mutiga was suspended for one year from Campus. When he returned after serving his suspension, he vied vied as SONU chairman and he won with an earthshaking Victory.
I remember when we went campaign in kikuyu campus, the sea of humanity that descended on kikuyu campus to listen to this great man was iconic. The reverberating song that bellowed across the black nimbus clouds made even the matatu operations in kikuyu town come to a standstill. “We want Mutiga! We want Mutiga! We want Mutiga! We want Mutiga!………….” became a song!
That is the man I mourn today. We were all expecting this man to shoot to national limelight soon than later but for unknown reasons he had a backseat after leaving campus. I had always wondered why until I learnt that Mutiga’s health was deteriorating for the past few years. He passed on on Saturday.
We have truly lost the President this country will never have! Believe me when I tell you Mutiga Gitobu would easily have become the President of this country if he ever lived to vie! He was a genius in speech work. Eloquent and Articulate. A natural crowd puller blessed with charisma. Above all all a man who feared God. He always told me he was a Sunday School teacher in his rural church in Nkubu.
Fare thee well brother, friend and Comrade Linus Emmanuel Mutiga Gitobu!
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