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Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.

      

Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.

Playing with her grandpa during her recent birthday, little Chhay, Ishan’s daughter, probably had no way of
comprehending that the older Kapila had just received the greatest honour a lawyer might expect from his
colleagues.
But not long before the unassuming Acchroo Ram Kapila had been awarded the Law Society of Kenya
Honours Award in an inaugural ceremony that saw him heading the Roll of Honour that will , in years to come,
bear the names of lawyers whose careers will have been adjudged exemplary in many ways.
“As I listened to the Chairman’s speech, reciting the highlights of my life, they seemed to belong to another
age, events so remote that, to the present generation, I must seem like a fossil or a dinosaur, of curious interest
only to students of archeology or prehistory,” Mr. Kapila had quipped in his acceptance speech.
“Now my life is complete,” he said in his perennially hilarious manner.
“Now would be the perfect moment to announce my retirement. But I know that I would change my mind the
moment the next challenging brief comes along. Besides, I am enjoying practicing with my two sons, Sheetal and
Ishan, far too much to even think of retirement!”
Teasing his audience about the possibility of being able to read his memoirs soon, he said: “You can leave
your deposits at the desk outside the door, as you leave, to secure your advance autographed copies. All I want to
say (now) is that I have wonderful memories (of times) full of excitement, hope and exhilaration, although I am
sure at the time these were brief interludes during long days, months and years of frustration, exhaustion,
trepidation and frequently depression.
Neither given to bragging nor moaning, Mr. Kapila was making the understatement of the year, and the highs
and lows of his lengthy and distinguished career will probably only become salient when he eventually writes his
memoirs.
It was a carrier that saw him rise to prominence by sheer accident, driven on by unusual courage that found
him rolling in a car in the course of duty, facing terrible racial discrimination and even doing time at the Kamiti
Maximum Security Prison. It also saw those close to him suffering because of his works, especially in the so
called political cases, which resulted in subtle police harassment.
But if Mr. Kapila in his 50 years plus of legal work made enemies with the high and mighty and had to bear with
the ensuing persecution, he certainly also had the joy and honour of rubbing shoulders and working with some of
the most memorable figures in the struggle to end oppression everywhere.
Among people he remembers fondly are the late J.M. Kariuki and Tom Mboya, as well as early heroes of
Kenya’s freedom struggle like legendary Jesse Kariuki, and numerous others he represented before and after the
Kapenguria trial.
In a career that saw him working closely with Apa Pant, Julius Nyerere, the late Joseph Murumbi and the
legendary lawyer Dennis Prit; there were probably more highs than lows.
Today, as Mr. Kapila plays either golf or the sitar, some of his greater passions, he should reminisce about tales to
tell his daughters-in-law Naseem and Karan who proudly refer to him as 'papa' – about the long and eventful
journey his whole life has been.
During the recent awards, Mr. Kapila was described thus by LSK Chairman Nzamba Kitonga: 'He is an
example, a visionary, a sage, possessed of dignity, clarity of thought, diligence and the gift of articulation, he has
prime qualities of a lawyer, wit, honesty, integrity, ability and courage.'
Unfortunately people with such qualities are extremely modest and self-effacing, and it was probably only
politeness that stopped Mr. Kapila from using the words of his old friend Dennis Pritt to tell Kitonga: 'I don’t like
too much praise – I find it really as bad as too much alcohol.'

Questions

(a) Name the greatest award that a lawyer can get from his colleagues in this country.

(b) Who was the first lawyer to get this award?

(c) Describe Kapila’s character as depicted in this passage.

(d) Why does the author think that in Kapila’s career there were probably more highs than lows?

(e) Describe the author’s attitude towards Kapila.

(f) Identify one simile in this passage and explain its meaning.

(g) Comment on Kapila’s statement 'Now my life is complete.

(h) Give the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage.

(i) Memoirs:……………………………………

(ii) Salient:……………..……………

(iii) Even doing time at Kamiti prison:

(iv) Prime:………………

  

Answers


Martin
(a) Law Society of Kenya Honours Award.

(b) Acchroo Ram Kapila.

(c)

- Light hearted / humourous / jovial; the author comments that he (Kapila) speaks in a hilarious manner.
- Hardworking; must have worked hard to deserve the greatest award a lawyer can expect.
- Dedicated, he loves his work. He is not even willing to retire.
- Loving; relates very warm with his sons, grandchildren and daughters-in-law.
(d) Though characterized by problems such as police harassment and imprisonment, it enabled him
to meet and work with memorable figures in the struggle to end oppression and also heroes of Kenya’s
freedom struggle. (Show the distribution of marks in that question)
(e)

- He admires Kapila for having accomplished so much in his career.
- He also praises him for his ability to blend all the qualities attributed to him.

(f) (i) I Must seem like a fossil or dinosaur.
Means that his achievements appear to be things of the past.
(ii) I find it as bad as alcohol; compares praises to alcohol which is likely to give one the wrong
impression/intoxicating. (Same distribution as above)

(g) Means that he has achieved what he would have liked to achieve in his career.

(h) (i) Memoirs – The story of one’s life.

(ii) Salient – Clear / more noticeable / conspicuous

(iii) Even doing time at Kamiti prison - Even being imprisoned at times

(iv) Prime – Important
marto answered the question on June 7, 2019 at 02:59


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