Former Trade and Industry Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) David Osiany has penned a moving tribute to the late senior National Intelligence Service (NIS) officer Tom Adala.
Tom Adala reportedly took his own life on Tuesday, June 4 at his residence in Kilimani, Nairobi.
In his emotional tribute seen by The Kenya Times, Osiany mourned the tragic loss of Tom Adala while describing him as his brother and true friend.
“Tom was an astute intelligence officer who worked professionally throughout his years with a rare passion for this nation,” David Osiany expressed.
He highlighted Adala’s career achievements, noting that he rose to become the Assistant Director and the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Director General of NIS.
Adala also held several other significant positions, including Defense Attaché at Kenya’s embassy in New York and Head of Research and Strategy for the Counterterrorism Centre.
David Osiany Moving Tribute to Tom Adala
Osiany described Tom as dependable, loving, and loyal to his friends, and more so to the nation.
“He was a rare gem. In a world where many selfish people occupy critical roles for self-aggrandizement, Adala served with utmost honesty and zeal, keeping his eye on the prize: a better nation,” he stated.
Also Read: Suicide Note Uncovers New Details on Death of Top NIS Officer Tom Adala
The former CAS further revealed that he knew Tom since their university days when they used to call each other “Top Luo” and he had been his true big brother.
He added that the late influenced him to enter into barber shop business, which Tom loved, as evidenced by his Gentleman’s Quarter (GQ) chains across the city.
“I later learned that this business, like many others, is not for the faint-hearted. I am still at a loss over Adala’s demise,” he wrote.
Former Trade CAS Narrates Last Moments
In his statement, David Osiany expressed his heartbreak and confusion over the reports of possible suicide while recounting their last moments together.
“Why would a man with so much promise like him, who was keen on pursuing his PhD and had experienced all the motions of life, terminate his dreams so brutally? I remember our last meeting in March at the Kisumu airport when he was seeing off his sister,” Osiany reminisced.
Also Read: Senior NIS Officer Found Dead in His Kilimani Home
“He had just come from burying another friend of ours, Caesar Handa. We discussed several things and laughed heartily as always. Tom was as accomplished as his late father, Amb. Fanuel Adala Otuko, who was the 6th KER (Supreme Leader) of the Luo community and Kenya’s pioneer ambassador to the USSR.”
The former CAS mentioned that some media reports indicated Adala was depressed, and he felt bad because most people didn’t see the death coming at all.
“And that’s what hurts most. Tom may have voiced concerns about the work environment and personal matters to a few, but no one would have remotely imagined it would end like this,” he remarked.
“If the suicide reports are true, then dear friends, nothing should drive any of us to end our lives. Life is tough, but it’s rough ebbs often change into calmness, and in the end, if we steady ourselves, something good will happen. Top Luo, what a man! From whence cometh such another?! Till we meet again at Jesus’s feet.”
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