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Wall of Prominent Coast Personalities: Dr. Chibule wa Tsuma.
Kilifi South MP (1979-1988), surgeon (one of the first crop of Kenyan doctors to study surgery) and for the record books...Coast region's first Presidential candidate (1992) in independent Kenya. A thread...
Kilifi South MP (1979-1988), surgeon (one of the first crop of Kenyan doctors to study surgery) and for the record books...Coast region's first Presidential candidate (1992) in independent Kenya. A thread...
Born in 1943 in Buni, Rabai, Chibule wa Tsuma went on to study in Alliance & Makerere University, where he studied surgery. He is quick to acknowledge the role of the palm wine trade in his education, something that he would be passionate about through his political career.
It is in Makerere where he got his political platform was launched, acting as student leader & heading the Kenyan student delegation. His ideologies matched those of Ronald Ngala's KADU, who mentored him on his political path.
Unsuccessful on his first two attempts in election to the Kenyan parliament he went back to Makerere for his postgraduate studies, before finally clinching the Kilifi South seat in 1979. It is then that he would become part of the group named 'The Seven Bearded Sisters'.
'The Seven Bearded Sisters' were a group of young firebrand politicians in Parliament that were the first in independent Kenya to take on the government on the floor of the House, criticizing its policies & its pro-Western stand, something that was unheard of before.
'The Seven Bearded Sisters' comprised of James Orengo, Koigi wa Wamwere, Abuya Abuya, Onyango Midika, Mwashengu wa Mwachofi, Lawrence Sifuna and Chibule wa Tsuma. All of whom had a strong backing of University student organisations.
The term 'Seven Bearded Sisters' was coined by AG Charles Njonjo in 1981, borrowing from the book 'The Seven Sisters: The Great Oil Companies & the World they Shaped'. He added 'Bearded' in reference to Karl Marx since the young MPs were deemed to have Marxist ideologies.
Fancy in name but dangerous in translation, the term alluded to the group's intention to overthrow the gov't. 'The Seven Sisters' were the oil companies Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, Gulf Oil, Texaco, BP & Shell that were known for overthrowing governments for their business interests.
Many of 'The Seven Bearded Sisters' were either later arrested, went into exile, or had their political journeys halted in their prime through the Mlolongo style of election. This would happen to Dr. Chibule wa Tsuma in 1988, not before a few rough encounters with President Moi.
He was once famously chased away from State House in the 80s after leading a delegation from Kilifi to State House in a quest to reverse the labelling of mnazi as illicit. They arrived at 5:30 am before even the President himself, who had not slept at State House.
Arriving at around 6 am, Moi found Dr. Chibule wa Tsuma & his delegation waiting at the gates. After being briefed what the gathering was about, he went on to phone his Coast pointman Shariff Nassir to ask whether the delegation's wishes were those of the whole Coast region...
With Shariff Nassir's answer being 'No', the delegation was given 15 minutes to disappear from State House & its environs. President Moi would never shake hands with Dr. Chibule wa Tsuma again. Some say because he was informed that he was a close relation to Tsuma Washe Kajiwe.
Dr. Chibule wa Tsuma was slowly sabotaged after this, but in 1992 he got himself in the running for Presidency, making history while at it. He became the first Coasterian to run for the top seat (Ronald Ngala with KADU was before independence).
He managed a paltry 16,000 votes, behind the victor Daniel Arap Moi, Kenneth Matiba, Mwai Kibaki and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. He came 5th, ahead of George Anyona, John Harun Mwau and David Mukaru Ng'ang'a.
Dr. Chibule wa Tsuma, still a practising medical consultant at the Coast, says politics has changed past his liking. Candidature is about money rather than issues. His legacy & that of his fellow 'Seven Bearded Sisters' will remain the groundwork they laid for democracy in Kenya.
