Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Ababu Namwamba has paid a heartfelt tribute to his longtime bodyguard, Corporal Jonah Kemboi Rotich, who passed away after a prolonged battle with illness.
In a statement on Sunday, May 25, Namwamba described Rotich not just as a security aide, but as a brother, friend, and integral part of his family.
"For eighteen years, Corporal Jonah Kemboi Rotich has been more than just a trusted security aide to me. He has been a cherished brother and a true friend. Family in every sense. Professional yet humane, humble yet firm, loyal and honest beyond a morsel of doubt, he has been an ever presence around me in all situations.
"We have worked. We have travelled the world. We have dreamt. We have raised our children. We have built one large family. And worshipped our one true God, I as a committed Catholic, him a dedicated Seventh Day Adventist," he said.
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Namwamba went on to highlight the bond that went beyond professional duty, further praising Rotich’s embodiment of national unity.
"My family and I have felt safe with Rotich. And that counts for a lot in a society that is obsessed with elevating parochial tribal sectionalism above the purity of human connection.
"Indeed Rotich has felt as much at home among the Mulembe Nation of Ingo/Western as I have felt among his Kitwek backyard of Cherangany and Eldoret. A living testimony of how to forge a unified nation beyond myopic profiling and puerile ethnic jingoism," he added.
Reflecting on Rotich's passing, Namwamba expressed deep sorrow and extended his prayers to the bereaved family.
"Rotich has rested after a battle with multiple health challenges, a battle he has borne with admirable courage and stoicism. We are devastated by this painful loss, and commit his soul to the Good Lord as we pray that his family finds comfort in the bosom of Christ.
"We will lay him to rest at his Eldoret home on 3rd June, 2025. Eternal rest grant unto brother Jonah Kemboi Rotich, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. Amen," he concluded.
