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The government confirmed the rollout of Ksh300 million allocated to the National Heroes Council to support selected Kenyans who will be identified as heroes.
Speaking on Tuesday, February 14, Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome stated that the council will ensure that the fund which had remained inactive since the establishment of the Council in 2017, will be used to ensure that the heroes were well taken care of.
The CJ further revealed that the council will establish different categories for Kenyan heroes as mandated by Kenyan law to identify and serve them.
Chief Justice Martha Koome (Right) and Principal Secretary for the State Department for Culture and Heritage Ummi Mohamed Bashir(Left) pose for a photo on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.
Twitter/Justice Martha Koome
“The National Heroes Council Board is a critical State entity that identifies, selects, recognises, and honours our National Heroes, monuments, and sites.
“One of the mandates of the Council is to establish categories of heroes to better serve them,” Koome stated.
The CJ was speaking during the swearing-in of the Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department for Culture and Heritage Ummi Mohamed Bashir as a member of the National Heroes Council Board.
She welcomed Ummi to the council reiterating that the fund will additionally benefit more Kenyans as the council will seek to identify outstanding Kenyans and recognise them as heroes.
“It would benefit Kenyans if there is in place a long-standing trend, culture, and practice of identifying, celebrating, and supporting our unsung heroes and heroines when they are still alive,” Koome added.
Speaking after her swearing-in ceremony, Bashir affirmed that actualising the heroes fund will be her priority as the newest member of the council.
She stated that she was committed to making sure that Kenyan heroes, under the Heroes Act, were provided for by the government.
“My first duty to embark on will be to ensure that we have a regulation in place to ensure that the fund is up and running,” Ummi stated.
Other members of the National Heroes Council include the chairman Al-Hajj Adan Wachu, Eliud Kipchoge, Leonard Mambo Mbotela, Charles Wambia, Christine Omwakwe, Bernice Wanjiku, Peter Tabichi, Gitu Wa Kahengeri, and Christine Omwakwe.
Chief Justice Martha Koome speaking during a conference on January 17, 2023.
Twitter
Martha Koome
