Senate Speaker Amason Kingi’s father, Kingi Mwarua, was laid to rest today in his home village of Kamale in Magarini sub-county. The burial ceremony was attended by President William Ruto, who led mourners in condoling with the Speaker and his family.
During a memorial service held on Thursday at Kamale village, Speaker Kingi shared emotional recollections of his father’s struggles and sacrifices. He described a childhood filled with hardship, marked by extreme poverty and frequent shifta attacks in the remote region. He recounted how his father, despite limited means, prioritized education for his children.
Kingi narrated the challenges he faced as a village boy growing up in an area plagued by water scarcity. He revealed how, as a child, he and his siblings would leave school at 4 PM to search for water from dry shallow wells, often returning home in the morning before heading back to school. He recalled wearing tattered clothes and going for days without bathing due to the lack of water.
Despite these hardships, his father remained committed to ensuring his children acquired a proper education. According to Kingi, his father engaged in various informal and sometimes illegal businesses, including hunting and selling water, to make ends meet. He emphasized that his father’s resilience and determination were key in shaping his family’s success.
“The death of my father is not just a loss to our family but to the entire Kamale community,” Kingi said. “He was a man of vision who always dreamed of seeing this village transformed.”
The burial ceremony saw the attendance of several political leaders, including Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro, Deputy Majority Leader and Kilifi North MP Owen Baya, Senate Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo, and Ganze MP Ken Kazungu. The leaders eulogized the late Mwarua as a man who overcame numerous obstacles to provide for his family and uplift the community.
Governor Mung’aro, who is Kingi’s cousin from the Amamkweha clan of the Mijikenda, urged the Speaker to uphold his father’s legacy by continuing to lead and support the family. Madzayo commended the late Mwarua for ensuring that his children received an education despite financial hardships.
Baya and Kazungu credited Kingi for playing a crucial role in their political growth, acknowledging his mentorship and support.
As the Speaker bid his father a final farewell, his story stood as a testament to resilience, hard work, and the enduring power of education to change lives. The ceremony marked not just a moment of grief, but also a celebration of a life that inspired many.
