P.L.O LUMUMBA

Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, internationally known as P.L.O Lumumba, is a Kenyan lawyer who born in 17^th July 1962 and raised in a small village called Usenge in the Kenyan side of Lake Victoria. He also had a good part of his life in Nairobi where he also schooled. He attended Dr Krapf Primary School in Maringo, Nairobi, transferred to Usenge Primary school and later to St Patrick Primary School in Nairobi. He studied for his ‘0’ level certificate at Pumwani Secondary School and later proceeded to Ambira High School in 1975. He studied for law at the university of Nairobi and graduated in 1985. He graduated with a master’s degree from the same university later in 1989. Five years later, He graduated with a PhD from the university of Gent, Belgium.

He worked as a legal assistant at Waruhiu&Mutie Advocates in Nairobi from 1986 to 1989before practicing his law under M/S Otieno Lumumba & Co. Advocates. He also worked as apart time lecturer at Kenya College of Accountancy. He also worked as an assistant lecturer in the University of Nairobi, part time lecturer at United States International University, Part time lecturer at Dynamic School of Accountancy and as a lecturer at Kenya School of Law. He was the founding dean at Kabarak School of Law.

He has served the government of Kenya in different occasions.On 4^th October 2001, he was appointed by the president of Kenya to serve as a secretary to the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission. On 30^th October the same year, he was appointed by the attorney general to serve in the National Committee on Implementation of International Humanitarian Law. He served as director of Kenya Anti-corruption Commission, now known as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, from September 2010 to August 2011. He gained popularity due to his contributions and efforts in trying to fight corruption but the odds in the environment were all against him. He was dismissed from his position under controversial circumstances.

He seems to be among the most furnished lawyers in the country. He has great quotes that leave the mind with a lot to ponder. He is seen as a great and serious thinker due to his speeches and fluency. His speeches are very much informative and thought -provoking. His also known for his courage to address fearlessly the most negative and trending issues that most people fear to talk about. His lectures, articles and books are also brain-catching. For instance, he has made several critical speeches concerning China. However, he makes it clear that he doesn’t condemn china but only warns Africa about China. A central theme that he raises in his speeches is what is China’s longterm objective in Africa?

Moreover, he has made more motivating speeches, corruption speeches, success speeches, critical speeches and speeches alluding to African solutions to African problemse.g Celebrating Africa that he delivered on 12^th may 2010. Such speeches bringing him out as a Pan-Africanist. He is for example remembered for his energetic speech in Uganda at the third Anti-Corruption Convention the speech at the 2015 PAVA Forum.

He has written several books on law and politics including; The Quotable P.L.O Lumumba, Criminal Procedure in Kenya, An outline of Judicial Review in Kenya, Call for Political Hygiene in Kenya and Swearing by Kenya. He also co-authored thirteen other books on integrity and has ventured into fiction with the book “stolen moments”. He has published numerous articles and edited several books like Devolution in Kenya.

Due to these major activities, he has been recognized, commended and awarded by many likein 2004, he received a commendation from the Kenya Scouts Association for the service to the society and in 2012 the East African Association of Anti-corruption Authorities recognized him for valuable and exemplary contributions in the fight against corruption. He was the recipient of the 2008 Martin Luther King Africa salute to greatness award by the Martin Luther King Jr Africa Foundation. He is recognized in; Liberia for his Pan Africanist activities, University of Limpopo in South Africa in the year 2017, at the University of Mpumalanga in 2019 and by New African Magazine as one of the a hundred most influential Africans in 2017.In the same year, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement for Patriotism and Advocacy by the African Forum. Other awards are; African Luminary Award by African Cultural Association in the USA and recognition by the House of Representatives of the Common Wealth of Massachusets in the united states of America exemplary work in the fight against corruption and bad governance in Africain 2018.

Apart from all these activities involving his career, occupation and profession, P.L.O is a person who would amuse you with his incredible karate moves and skills. He takes karate as his part time activity.

REFERENCES

• Regional Universities Forum forCapacity Building in Agriculture(RUFORUM)- www.ruforum.org
• EACC history- www, eacc.go.ke Retrieved from 16^th March 2016
• The daily Nation “Lumumba named law school boss” (23^rdNovember 2017)