Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju is in mourning following the death of his mother Mary Odiyo Tuju.
Tuju’s mother died on Thursday morning at Karen Hospital after a long battle with illness. She died at the age of 87.
She has been eulogized as a hard-working, dedicated, and welcoming lady who paid key emphasis to education and community development matters.
Speaking during a recent interview, Tuju noted that growing up, her mum wanted him to be a Catholic priest.
According to Tuju, his decision to join politics disappointed the mum who felt that he would have had a brighter future spreading the gospel as a priest.
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The Jubilee Secretary General further noted that his mum’s dislike of him joining politics came out clearly in 2003 when he was involved in a plane crash in Busia.
The late Mama Mary Odiyo Tuju. [Photo: Courtesy]
Following the nasty accident, Tuju’s mum reportedly cried and regretted his son’s decision to join politics, noting that he was being punished for failing to be a priest.
“She lamented loudly that I was the son she had wanted to become a Catholic priest and now I had been punished for having taken the wrong path of politics,” Tuju was quoted by Nation.
According to Tuju, they later reconciled and she finally accepted his career path.
Tuju made his political debut in 2002 when he was elected Rarieda Member of Parliament during the general election in December that year.
A few months after being elected, he was involved in a nasty plane accident that saw the country lose some senior government officials.
Meanwhile, the family has announced that late Mama Mary Tuju will be laid to rest on November 27, 2021.
