Eugene Wamalwa Gives Glimpse Of His Elder Brother Kijana Wamalwa's Tomb In Kitale

• Kijana Wamalwa died on August 23, 2003, while in a London-based hospital where he had been taken for treatment
• By the time of his demise, Wamalwa was serving as the vice president in the first phase of Mwai Kibaki's regime
• Former Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa, who is the deceased's younger brother, led other Azimio and local leaders in marking the 20th death anniversary

Trans Nzoia - The family of the late Kija na Wamalwa on Wednesday, August 23, marked his 20th death anniversary at his home in Milimani, Kitale.

Kijana, the elder brother of Eugene Wamalwa, died in August 2003 in London, the United Kingdom, where he had been flown for treatment after a bout of illness.

He was an accomplished scholar with law credentials from King’s College in London.

Kijana Wamalwa's death anniversary

Leaders led by the deceased younger brother convened at the former's residence to pay homage exactly two decades after his demise.

To honour the late, the leaders, among them Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya and the Roots Party of Kenya leader George Wajackoya, gathered inside the permanent mausoleum housing the ceramic tiled slab under which his remains lie.

They then proceeded to a Holy Mass in an adjoining church to commemorate the goner's life.

Natembeya renamed the Trans Nzoia County Teaching and Referral Hospital to the Wamalwa Kijana Teaching and Referral Hospital in the deceased's honour.

As of the time of his death, Kijana had not featured among the Kenyan politicians with massive estates.

The eloquent politician’s relatively tiny net worth could be attributed to his giving heart.

Many eulogised him as being too generous.

For instance, he took up caring for his five mothers and 22 siblings when their father died.

“Our father died when we were quite young, and Michael raised us. He wanted the best for us. He put us through school to college and beyond,” his brother previously said.

Kijana ensured that all his siblings had completed school before he got married.

“At times, I would give him money, and 10 minutes later, he had given away all of it and did not have anything for himself. He would not see you lacking, yet he had a shilling in his pocket,” Musikari Kombo recounted.

The late deputy president’s uncle, Michael Wamalwa, said he resorted to walking around without money because he would give it all away.

Kijana Wamalwa’s wealth

At his death, Kijana’s estate comprised several parcels of land in Uasin Gishu worth around KSh 10 million.

He also had two vehicles, a Mercedes Benz and Range Rover, and 20 herds of cattle in Kitale.

Following his death, it emerged there was more to his name after four of his children accused their stepmother, Yvonne, of failing to account for the money.

When he died, Kijana reportedly had KSh 3 million in a briefcase, and parliament released KSh 36 million as his pension.