Nairobi — The new Constitution gave the son of celebrated freedom hero Kisoi Munyao a chance to honour his late father by tracing his footsteps to the peak of Mt Kenya.

Mr Teddy Munyao, 30, joined 27 Kenyans in an adventure to deposit a copy of the new Constitution to Point Lenana, the mountain's third highest peak, on Friday.

The event was to coincide with the promulgation of the new laws by President Kibaki at a grand ceremony at Nairobi's Uhuru Park.

The younger Munyao's father had accomplished a similar feat when he hoisted the national flag on Batian Peak which is 5,199 metres above sea level on the independence eve 47 years ago.

Determined to honour his father by accomplishing a similar feat when Kenyans mid-wifed the Second Republic, the younger Munyao joined the team from KWS, Mt Kenya Tourism Circuit association, Marketing Society of Kenya, Tourism Trust Fund and journalists.

"I am doing this in honour of my father whom I really admire with all my heart. I hope one day I will also do something great for this country," said the younger Munyao who works with the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Machakos.

He was invited by the KWS to mark the country's rebirth by hoisting another flag at Batian as other members of the group placed the new constitution at Lenana.

"Mr Munyao is focused and got love for his country," said Mr Simon Gitau, the Mt Kenya national Park tourism officer and head of mountain rescue.

Unfortunately, heavy rains and snow hampered Mr Munyao and KWS technical climbers' efforts to reach Point Batian where his dad had hoisted the flag.

Only well-equipped and trained technical climbers can access the rocky peak. According to Mr Gitau the younger Munyao is a good climber and had served in the KWS mountain rescue team for five years.

Mr Munyao had to join the group taking the constitution to Lenana which is 4,985 metres above sea-level and wait for another chance to go to Batian.

"We will hoist the flag later when the weather improves and we will not hesitate to invite Munyao if that is what he needs to honour his late father," said Mr Gitau.

Rain and snow did not put a dumper on the spirits of the climbers, many of them amateurs. The climb started at around 4am on Friday with a display of fireworks at Shimpton Camp where they had spent the night in the mountain.

At exactly 8am, the team arrived at the peak and planted the flag. The new constitution was put inside a glass casing embedded on a masonry structure where it will be visible to all visitors and safe from the elements.

The association's chief executive officer Mr Simon Wachira said the exercise will serve as a constant reminder that the new constitution did not come on a silver platter.

"Kenyans have struggled for a long time to get a new constitution and I, being one of them, I had to volunteer and take the new constitution on top of Mt Kenya," said Mr Munyao in his interview with The Nation.

"My father was patriotic and disciplined; these are the characters that make me admire him."

Mr Munyao who is not yet married said that being a rescuer is something he likes most and had always asked his father before he died to coach him.

His father died at Kenyatta National Hospital, on March 22 2007, after suffering from pneumonia at age 73, and was buried at his home in Kisau Location of Makueni District in an emotional ceremony attended by President Kibaki, Cabinet ministers and other dignitaries.