I think Githongo's heroism is as a result of warped activism on his part combined by a lopsided journalism on the part of Kenya's media.
Like Pk the politician, their popularity was born out of pure media's confused roles of partisan news makers instead of impartial news. reporters
combine these with a group of kenyans with a hungry anti-establishment mentality and you get 'popular, heroic selfless and reformist Kenyans'.
Its very sad.
For in him (Jesus) we live and move and have our being-Acts 17:28