{UAH} Tribute to Joseph Odero Jowi, the man who brought Unep to Kenya
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Tribute to Joseph Odero Jowi, the man who brought Unep to Kenya
By JOSEPH NGOME
November 3, 2015On Sunday, Kenyans will be laying to rest the remains of Dr Joseph Gordon Odero-Jowi at the foot of the tiny Omange Hills in Kodero village of East Karungu location, Migori county, where he was born 86 years ago.
The one-time Kenya's ambassador to the United Nations and later United Nations Development Programme chief adviser leaves behind a rich legacy.
Kenyans will be burying Dr Jowi, the teacher, lawmaker, diplomat and adviser of global repute who passed on at the Nairobi Hospital in the wee hours of October 17.
He had a short stint as a cabinet minister for Economic Planning and Development, replacing the late Joseph Tom Mboya in 1969 following Mboya's assassination by a lone gunman outside a Nairobi chemist shop.
Jowi is credited for the hosting of the United Nations Environment Programme headquarters in Nairobi in 1972. This was the fourth United Nations agency to be located outside New York, USA, and the first one in Africa. Other UN regional headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland andVienna, Austria.
Jowi was a man of many firsts. He was the first MP for the former Lambwe constituency (the present Ndhiwa, Nyatike, Suba and part of Mbita constituencies), first African to have received first class honours degree in economics at the Delhi University, India. He was also the first MP to have relinquished his parliamentary seat in 1976 when he felt his conscience could not allow him to be a member of the Kenya National Assembly. Zablon Owigo Olang won the subsequent by-election in 1977.
He is fondly referred as 'Janam' (a man from the lake) by his peers and electorate.
Janam was plucked from Labour College in Kampala, Uganda, where he was the principal of International Confederation of Trade Unions-sponsored African Labour College, by Tom Mboya. It was Mboya who influenced his appointment there immediately he returned from India.
Mboya later asked Jowi to return home and be part of those shaping the destiny of Kenya immediately after independence in 1963. This was the sure way to join politics and become a member of parliament. His political career began after the 1963 general election where he vied for the Lambwe constituency seat and won with landslide votes, beating his sole rival, Mwalimu Muok 'Oula' Genga.
He was appointed an assistant minister for Labour and later served as Finance assistant minister. Thereafter he was appointed minister for Finance and Administration at the East African Community, Arusha, Tanzania.
In Arusha, former Finance minister David Mwiraria worked under him. Because of his rising star, a local Luo folksinger, Odewa Alango, scripted a praise song referring to Dr Jowi as 'Jariyo Book', meaning one who is thirsty for books!
In the climax, the dancers would respond in unison: "Ongowangeriek", meaning the 'hawk has sharp eyes'.
Brought up in a humble background, he received his earlier education at Sori DEB School in Karungu before he proceeded to the Government African Secondary School, Kisii.
He later joined Maseno School where his classmates included Dr Isaac Omolo Okero, former minister for Transport and Telecommunications, and Prof Bethwel Allan Ogot, vice chancellor, Moi University Eldoret.
After Maseno, Jowi joined Kagumo TTC where he trained as a teacher before he proceeded to University of Calcutta and University of Delhi, India where he left an impressive record in academics.
In an interview with this writer in 1990, Jowi said: "All the proposed regions eagerly wanted the Unep headquarters to be hosted in their region. It was sheer hard work and high-level negotiations among representatives from all over the world. I take a lot of pride to have achieved this feat for Kenya and Africa at large! It was a real and unprecedented diplomatic coup." Jowi recalled how representatives from the Asian region, Latin America and the Middle East blocks vigorously campaigned to have Unep headquarters in their regions.
However, with the support of Kenya's first President, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, and Foreign Affairs minister Dr Njoroge Mungai, he lobbied representatives of several regions including African diplomats who supported Kenya's cause 100 per cent.
Today, Kenya and Africa in general host Unep and UN Habitat because of the courage and acumen of this gallant Kenyan.
When I joined the Daily Nation as a correspondent based in Homa Bay 33 years ago, Jowi was overjoyed when some of my stories from the "sleeping giant" (South Nyanza) made it to the front pages. He arranged for me to travel to New York to cover the UN General Assembly during an event to celebrate the first UN Secretary General, Doug Hammerjold.
Though this trip never materialised, I later travelled to the USA on the invitation of the World Press Institute training at Minnesota University.
Jowi was also my guarantor when I applied for a passport to travel to Tanzania for my journalism studies in 1986. "This is now an assurance and in case of anything I am answerable to the Government of Kenya. I am impressed with your journalism work which is beyond my expectation," Jowi told me then.
Together with the support of the former assistant minister for Foreign Affairs and Ndhiwa MP, the late Philip Ochola 'Ogaye' Mak'Anyengo, I had my passport within two days.
So as the UN marks its 70th anniversary this year, let's pay tribute to one of Kenya's heroes who I was fortunate to call a friend. Rest in peace Janam.
The writer is a veteran journalist who reported for the Daily Nation, Kenya Times and BBC African Service in Kisumu.
EDITORS CHOICE
- See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/tribute-joseph-odero-jowi-man-who-brought-unep-kenya#sthash.J2nza6yj.dpuf
Gwokto La'Kitgumvery high education. We can call Obote all bad names we have, but the bottom line remains that he got more scholarships for Buganda than all previous Uganda leaders combined. That includes Sir Edward Mutesa, President Lule, President Binayisa, up to and into Ssabasajja Mutebi. Who all happen to be Baganda leaders." MulindwaDisclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
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