So, it looks like eleven senators and 35 members of the National Assembly have been nominated for some national honours. Pretty interesting, right?
So, the Members of Parliament are part of a group of 60 people who were nominated by parliament, thanks to the Parliamentary Honours Advisory Committee.
So, the other 14 are senior government officials working across various departments.
They’ve received nominations for the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS), the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS), and the Head of State Commendation (HSC).
There are quite a few notable legislators, like MPs John Waluke from Sirisia, Didmus Barasa representing Kimilili, William Kamket from Tiaty, Mark Mwenje of Embakasi West, Naisula Lesuuda for Samburu West, and Otiende Omollo from Rarieda.
So, we’ve got Narok Senator Ledama Olekina in the mix, along with nominated Senators Veronica Maina and Tabitha Mutinda. Pretty interesting lineup, right?
One of the other state officials is Mary Wanyonyi Chebukati, who serves as the Chairperson of the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA).
Out of the 60, 48 got nominated for CBS, 8 for OGW, 3 for MBS, and one for HSC.
In Kenya, the Constitution mentions national honours in Article 132(4)(c), and you can find more details in the National Honours Act from 2013.
The President gives out these honours to people and organisations that have done outstanding work and made significant contributions to the country, based on suggestions from advisory committees.
Presidential awards feature the Order of the Golden Heart, the Order of the Burning Spear, and the Order of the Grand Warrior.
The Order of the Golden Heart is considered the top award out there.
It’s split into three categories depending on seniority: Chief, Elder, and Moran.
The Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart (CGH) is the top award, typically given to current presidents and notable religious or military figures.
President Ruto isn’t alone in this; he’s joined by other notable leaders like Yoweri Museveni from Uganda and former Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who have also received the award.
The Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart (EGH) is awarded to the current Deputy President, the Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate, Cabinet Secretaries, the First and Second Ladies, the Chief of Staff of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), and the Head of Public Service.
The third class award is the Moran of the Order of the Golden Heart, or MGH for short.
The second category is the Order of the Burning Spear (OBS), which is given to public dignitaries, professionals, and outstanding members of the public service.
The Order has three categories based on seniority: the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS), the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS), and the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS).
The final category is the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW), which is awarded to individuals who have provided exceptional service to the country in different roles. It’s usually awarded to people who take big risks with their lives for the benefit of the country.
The award is divided into three categories: Chief, Elder, and Moran.
There are also other categories like the Distinguished Conduct Order (DCO), Distinguished Service Medal (DSM), Silver Star, and President’s Commendations for both Military and Civilian Division.