How Willy Komen ensured thousand got land in Nakuru

Mr Willy Komen who died on June 22, 2019 aged 77. He has been described as a quiet politician but a shrewd entrepreneur. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Areas where he spearheaded the purchase of land included Keringet, Sirikwa, Kirobon and Simboyon.
  • Many will greatly remember him for ensuring they own a piece of land in the cosmopolitan county.
  • Former Molo MP Njenga Mungai described the late Komen as a “straightforward, nationalist and patriotic politician”.
  • He is survived by his wife Elizabeth Komen and 10 children.

A mention of the name Willy Komen in Nakuru West Constituency and specifically Barut, Kwa Ronda and Kapkures may not ring a bell.

But unknown to the bustling population, probably one of the highest in Nakuru town, is that they owe their settlement to the fallen veteran politician.

Mr Komen, 77, who died on Saturday, was a quiet politician but a shrewd entrepreneur who mobilised the Kalenjin community in the early 1970s and 1980s to buy land from the white settlers in Nakuru.

KALENJIN ENTERPRISE

And through his efforts, the Kalenjin Enterprise, whose chairman was his late father Kibowen Komen, bought land in Nakuru town, Subukia, and Rongai and settled thousands of members of his community.

Other areas where he spearheaded the purchase of land included Keringet, Sirikwa, Kirobon and Simboyon.

This was probably one of the greatest unifications of the community outside President Daniel arap Moi’s powers and is today regarded as the most unifying factor for the community in Nakuru County and in Rift Valley at large.

Many of the members of the Kalenjin community will greatly remember him for ensuring they own a piece of land in the cosmopolitan county.

“His ability to mobilise the Kalenjin community, irrespective of their clans and political affiliation, has made the community to be proud land owners in Nakuru County,” said Mr Samuel Towett, a former mayor of Nakuru in the early 1980s.

VISIONARY LEADER

Mr Towet described Mr Komen as a visionary leader who seized the opportunity to ensure the community was not reduced to squatters after the white man left the country.

“His was one of the greatest achievements that many Kalenjins in Nakuru county will remember as they had no hope in the early 1960s and 1970s of acquiring land but through his leadership and that of his father Kibowen, they managed to bring hope to the community,” said Mr Towet.

And in the political front, his contemporaries remember him as a humble politician and a peace maker who did not mind working with the opposition despite the fact that he was elected MP on a Kanu ticket, which was the ruling party.

UNITING COMMUNITIES

“He was a quiet politician without a lot of political noise but he had deep conviction for peace in the Rift Valley as he strongly believed in unification of all communities in the Rift Valley,” said former Eldoret South MP Joseph Misoi.

Dr Misoi represented Eldoret South between 1988 and 1997 which was the epicentre of ethnic clashes.

“He was an assistant minister for Labour and I remember him as very effective and well informed and easy to work with,” said Dr Misoi in a telephone interview.

Mr Komen was an assistant minister for Labour during President Moi’s regime between 1992 and 1997 and played a critical role in reconciling communities during the infamous tribal clashes in the region.

MEDIATOR

“I remember him and me as one of the pioneer mediators from the Kalenjin community who was able to communicate directly with President Moi on the best way to end the clashes by calling for dialogue between the community and the Kikuyu community together with former Molo MP Njenga Mungai,” said Dr Misoi.

Dr Misoi said despite Mr Komen being in Kanu, he was at the forefront in reaching out to opposition leaders to end the conflict that led to the killing of innocent residents and destruction of property worth millions of shillings.

“He was the voice of reason and was not a hardliner despite being a Kanu supporter and always emphasised for peace and coexistence between the communities in Nakuru and the lager Rift Valley,” said Dr Misoi.

NATIONALIST

Former Molo MP Njenga Mungai described the late Komen as a “straightforward, nationalist and patriotic politician”.

“He was a level headed politician unlike his colleagues in Kanu who were obsessed with tribal thinking that caused tribal clashes in Molo and Nakuru. He is worth remembering for his role in uniting all the communities and that is why he was able to be elected by all communities in Nakuru West,” said Mr Mungai.

He is also credited for spearheading the building of churches in Njoro, Rongai, and Baringo Central where he was born.

RELIGIOUS

“He was independent minded and strictly religious and a trusted person and that is why when he took over the baton of leading the Kalenjin Enterprise from his father Kibowen, the transition was smooth,” said his second last born son, Mr Raymond Komen, who is the Nakuru County Minister for Trade, Tourism and Cooperatives.

Mr Komen served as MP in three constituencies in the cosmopolitan county.

He served in Rongai, Nakuru Town and Nakuru West.

He started his political career in 1969 at the age of 24.

He was elected the Nakuru West legislator in 1969 and represented Nakuru Town up to 1976 when he moved to Rongai but lost to Mr Eric Bomet in 1979.

But he bounced back and was elected as Rongai MP where he served from 1992 to 1997 before he lost to Mr Eric Motogo

He is survived by his wife Elizabeth Komen and 10 children.