The late Jackson Kimeu Mulinge is one of the celebrated and respected fallen army generals in Kenya.
Mulinge joined the army mysteriously after he went to sell goats and chicken in Machakos town.
It is said an army recruitment officer grabbed the deceased and forced him to queue for consideration since the exercise was ongoing in the town then.
Resident Martin Kioko on Tuesday told this writer that that is the way the late Mulinge joined the army.
The late general is praised for thwarting the 1972 coup when some politicians ganged to overthrow the first Kenyan's founder President late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
Mulinge also contributed to managing another coup during retired President Daniel Arap Moi's regime in 1982.
For Kathiani residents, the late Mulinge though gone to be with the Lord will still remain their father and a pillar in the sub-county's development.
Mulinge is said to have helped the locals very much when he was in the army and after his retirement.
He influenced the tarmacking of Kathiani-Machakos raod, diving of water dams such as Muooni dam, rural electrification, and establishing schools.
"Mulinge used to invite President Moi during 'harambees' for schools construction and other development projects," Kioko said.
Kioko said the deceased helped several schools in the region acquire buses.
He said Mulinge lobbied for the construction of Kathiani Boys High School and its sister Kathiani Girls High School.
The general also helped many youths join the army.
"This was a good guy since most of us put food on the table because of him, he helped my son join the army," said 60-year-old Elizabeth Mukui from Lumbwa village.
The deceased's son Major General James Mulinge also joined the army during his time.
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