By Silas Nyanchwani
I believe politics exists to serve people. I also believe a person can be a politician and a decent human being at the same time, and still put the people first. Tony Moturi is the proof I offer whenever anyone tells me otherwise.
I have known Tony for nearly a decade. He was first a neighbour, the man I shared football nights with. He made a wrong decision in life when he picked Manchester United, but we all get a few things wrong, don’t we? He became a special friend, and in time the brother I never had. Along the way, I watched him serve as the ODM party’s legal brain, and I can say without hesitation that I have met few men of his caliber.
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His generosity is easy to describe and hard to match. He gives resources, yes, but he also gives the rarest resource of all: time, and a listening ear. Many of us have friends who dismiss us with a handout, talk cheap, flatter their way into the next meeting, end every conversation with “nipigie bro,” and never pick up when you call. That is not Tony. Year after year, I have watched him answer calls, show up for human rights and gender inclusion causes, and stand with individuals and families in their hardest moments. I am not from Nyamira, yet he has helped me and my family without a second thought. He does not discriminate. He simply helps.
One incident has stayed with me. In 2023, during the opposition protests led by the late Raila Odinga, police opened fire, and several people were shot; some did not survive. The headlines moved on quickly, and our online anger and sympathy moved on with them. What remained were families facing hospital bills, and families forced to bury a loved one who, a week earlier, was not part of a funeral budget. Most of us never see that side of politics. I did not either, until I ran into Tony near Parliament. He was raising funds for the affected families, rushing to visit the young men nursing gunshot wounds, and arranging support for the families of those who had died.
I was then an ODM member and, like many, mostly an online noisemaker. That afternoon I was proud that my party had not abandoned those who fell. It gave me a new insight into Raila, and an even clearer one into how hard Tony works when no camera is watching.
I have lived in countries where politicians commit to a cause, deliver on their promises, and stand for something. I have interviewed a New York congressman for a publication and attended campaigns in several parts of the United States, and I am always struck by the quality of the debate and the seriousness of the aspirants. I hope Kenya reaches a point where politicians stop treating power as an end in itself. Tony reached that point long ago.
Before he set his sights on the Nyamira senatorial seat, I often wondered what he would do next. Would he retreat into private practice, where his reputation as one of Kenya’s most thorough lawyers would serve him handsomely? I am among those who are relieved that he honoured our request to run. Nyamira is fortunate to have him on the ballot.
A senator’s core duty is oversight, and Tony is built for it. He has the knowledge and spine to hold a governor accountable and ensure the people of Nyamira get full value from their county government. He handled his constituency’s concerns long before he became a candidate, which shows he won’t vanish until the next election. He comes alive when he is helping people. He is humane, down-to-earth, and accessible, and those who know him know he cares more about doing the right thing than about fame.
His victory would also be a win for the country. The Senate would gain one of the sharpest legal minds of his generation, a legislator equipped to shape laws that serve the public good. His achievements already make him a figure of national consequence, though he would never let on.
I vouch for Tony Moturi with a clear conscience. The people of Nyamira can elect him with confidence, and in time they will be proud to call him their senator.
I know I have said some bad things about Nyamira, but I have never mentioned how instrumental the people have been in my life, beyond being my in-laws and giving me my daughter and nephews.
Next is making Nyamira the greatest county in the country. That starts with getting Tony to the upper house.
Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Gusii Press Club. Mr. Nyanchwani is an established journalist and creative writer.
