Nelly
Member
In the Akamba language, Kalembe denotes smallness yet Richard Kalembe Ndile, who died on Sunday, was a big politician in Kenya.
The paradox of the former Kibwezi MP's name did not stand in his way to greatness despite coming from a humble background.
His father was landless and a casual labourer at a copper mining site in Western Uganda, in the 1970s where he was living with his family.
Although they returned to Kenya to a squalor life and being forced to sell charcoal on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway, Kalembe was destined for great things.
At the age of 33, Kalembe was already a household name-fighting for the rights of the landless.
It was his aggressive fights for the squatters in Kibwezi that easily endeared Kalembe to his people who in 1997 elections sent him to the Mavoko County Council as their civic leader and he was unanimously voted as the chairman of the Mavoko County Council.
He was in 2002 elections voted in as the MP for Kibwezi constituency. The election as Kibwezi MP threw the son of a squatter into the limelight of national politics.
He would later serve the country with unlimited doses of humour that lit up the country's political arena.
Despite his documented academic inadequacies, Kalembe rose from squalor as a charcoal seller to dine at the country's high table.
Actually, Kalembe's name emanated from the Kilembe Copper Mines in Uganda where his father was working in the 1970s.
Story has it that when his father returned to Kenya, Kalembe would fondly talk about the copper mills, earning himself the moniker Kilembe.
However, with the Akamba culture, Kilembe which denotes 'bigness' was considered not suitable for him as he was a 'small man.'
He would later be handed the nickname Kalembe to befit his 'smallness' as they settled as squatters back in Kibwezi.
Under that life of squatter-hood, young Kalembe found himself struggling to get education and at some point admitted that he dropped out while at Emali Secondary School.
Having been brought up under such dire conditions, Kalembe cultivated a burning desire to fight for the rights of fellow squatters, who incidentally are the majority in Kibwezi constituency.
The ex-MP would be remembered for his humour and comical remarks that left people in stitches.
The ex-legislators theatrics had positioned him as an influential politician, earning him a slot in retired President Kibaki's Cabinet as an assistant minister.
Kalembe was handed the ministry of Wildlife as an assistant minister during the reign of the Narc government, giving him an opportunity to tour the country as a senior government official.
The paradox of the former Kibwezi MP's name did not stand in his way to greatness despite coming from a humble background.
His father was landless and a casual labourer at a copper mining site in Western Uganda, in the 1970s where he was living with his family.
Although they returned to Kenya to a squalor life and being forced to sell charcoal on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway, Kalembe was destined for great things.
At the age of 33, Kalembe was already a household name-fighting for the rights of the landless.
It was his aggressive fights for the squatters in Kibwezi that easily endeared Kalembe to his people who in 1997 elections sent him to the Mavoko County Council as their civic leader and he was unanimously voted as the chairman of the Mavoko County Council.
He was in 2002 elections voted in as the MP for Kibwezi constituency. The election as Kibwezi MP threw the son of a squatter into the limelight of national politics.
He would later serve the country with unlimited doses of humour that lit up the country's political arena.
Despite his documented academic inadequacies, Kalembe rose from squalor as a charcoal seller to dine at the country's high table.
Actually, Kalembe's name emanated from the Kilembe Copper Mines in Uganda where his father was working in the 1970s.
Story has it that when his father returned to Kenya, Kalembe would fondly talk about the copper mills, earning himself the moniker Kilembe.
However, with the Akamba culture, Kilembe which denotes 'bigness' was considered not suitable for him as he was a 'small man.'
He would later be handed the nickname Kalembe to befit his 'smallness' as they settled as squatters back in Kibwezi.
Under that life of squatter-hood, young Kalembe found himself struggling to get education and at some point admitted that he dropped out while at Emali Secondary School.
Having been brought up under such dire conditions, Kalembe cultivated a burning desire to fight for the rights of fellow squatters, who incidentally are the majority in Kibwezi constituency.
The ex-MP would be remembered for his humour and comical remarks that left people in stitches.
The ex-legislators theatrics had positioned him as an influential politician, earning him a slot in retired President Kibaki's Cabinet as an assistant minister.
Kalembe was handed the ministry of Wildlife as an assistant minister during the reign of the Narc government, giving him an opportunity to tour the country as a senior government official.