Post by Ed on Oct 29, 2006 5:51:34 GMT 3
A peek at Njonjo’s bully era
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By Sunday Standard Correspondent
Talk about strange bedfellows and no other duo fits the bill more than Mr Charles Mugane Njonjo and Mr Raila Amolo Odinga.
Njonjo, once a powerful Attorney General, would not shake hands with members of a certain community for fear of contracting cholera at the height of his career.
Raila on the other hand, is a populist oppositionist who once while in detention in 1982, accused Njonjo of conspiring to overthrow the constitutionally elected Government of President Daniel arap Moi. He was detained on similar accusations.
"I stated that I had received information to the effect that Mr Njonjo had made plans to overthrow the Government of Kenya with the aid of South African and Israeli mercenaries and the General Service Unit.
To this effect substantial amounts of arms had been smuggled into the country. Some of these arms were kept somewhere in the Aberdares and the said coup was to take place on August 5, 1982.
I also said that the same source had said that several South African and Israeli agents had come into the country to make arrangements for the coup," reads part of Raila’s statement to coup investigators.
Clad in his traditional three-piece stripped suit with a watch on a golden chain dangling down his neck, Njonjo resembles the snobbish English aristocrats of an era long gone.
Raila on the other hand is a crowd mobiliser who dresses to fit the occasion and would even teasingly or sarcastically address Njonjo to his face as Sir Charles, the Duke of Kabeteshire.
Njonjo chose to lead a quiet life of family and business after his indictment by the judicial commission appointed by Moi in 1984.
He did, on few occasions, come out of the water to make caustic comments about the running of his church (Anglican Church of Kenya) and the State.
Most, however, chose to ignore the old man due to his age or his perceived insignificant political clout.
But by openly joining hands with ODM leader Raila, Njonjo has attracted much more attention and bared himself to open criticism, especially from Government operatives. He also has been criticised by commentators and callers on FM radio stations talk shows .
The verdict delivered by these groups depicts Njonjo as a bully in addition to being snobbish and arrogant. The only publication that documented the unsavoury attributes of the former AG was the report of the judicial commission appointed to inquire into allegations involving him. It was presented to the former President Moi in November 1984.
On page 57 of the report, the commissioners noted how in 1970 Jesse Mwangi Gachago was a director of Boskovic Air Charters Limited when it was taken over by someone from Holland. Njonjo then became a shareholder and director of the company.
Boskovic told Gachago he was under pressure from Njonjo that Gachago should quit the board of directors. Gachago quit," the report reads in part.
The report further shows how Gachago and Godfrey Muhuri Muchiri, who were both Members of Parliament, were convicted on charges of stealing coffee in 1978. They were jailed for five years each.
In April 1980, Muchiri and Gachago were driven from prison to Njonjo’s house in Muthaiga where he personally released them before the expiry of their jail terms.
The families of the two and Kiambaa MP Njenga Karume had been invited for the occasion. In his address to the gathering, Njonjo is reported have told them that Gachago and Muchiri were jailed because they were his political antagonists and had been associating with his political enemy, Dr Njoroge Mungai.
The other reason for their jailing was that the two of them had gone to plead with Mzee Jomo Kenyatta instead of pleading with Njonjo personally. It was said that Karume had sworn that the two would not go to prison.
Njonjo is also reported saying that Kenyatta had instructed him to drop the case against the two, but he apparently told the late president that he would rather resign than drop the case.
In their findings, the commissioners concluded that Njonjo’s conduct in relation to Gachago and Muchiri amounted to misuse of the office of the AG in seeking political support.
On page 63 of the report, the commission says Abdalla Ndovu Mwidau was a long serving employee of SGS and a director of its subsidiary, Super Freighters Limited, before contesting the Mombasa South parliamentary seat in 1979.
However, after obtaining clearance from Kanu, he got a message from Njonjo — through his boss — asking him to choose between his position in the company and resigning to contest in the elections.
There was no reason for this as SGS was not a Government organisation but through intrigues and manipulations from Njonjo, the provincial administration and a sacred company leadership, he finally opted for an early retirement package.
"He lost house allowance, free furniture, educational fees for 13 children, medical benefits, free car and petrol," the report reads.
Mwidau was also forced to sell his shares in the subsidiary company and not even the plea that they be transferred to one of his children was heeded. The commission found that by persecuting innocent Mwidau, Njonjo acted to his (Mwidau’s) prejudice and detriment.
According to that report, the senior superintendent of police Essau Kihumba Kioni was seconded to Kenya Airways from August 1978 as the security services manager. In January 1981 he discussed with a Mr Todd, an accountant in the revenue section, the issue of excess baggage weighing 270kg that had been flown in by Njonjo from London.
When it was confirmed with the London authorities that Njonjo had not paid for the excess baggage, the chief accountant discussed the matter with the airline’s Managing Director, Lord Cole and Njonjo was invoiced Sh36,272.50 on January 21, 1981.
On January 29 the same year Kioni was summoned to Njonjo’s office, where in front of Lord Cole and Simon Mbugua the then permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport, the former AG expressed his disgust at the police officer.
Njonjo showed Kioni the invoice as he wondered why there was "all this witch hunting" yet, the officer did not know anything about the invoice. Njonjo did not listen to his pleading that "some people were using him as a caterpillar to crush me".
Njonjo was subsequently issued with a credit note from the airline and at 7.30pm February 5, 1981; Lord Cole summoned Kioni to the lobby of the Hilton Hotel from where he was given a letter terminating his services with Kenya Airways.
Kioni was aged 40 then. He went back to the Special Branch but he was soon retired in public interest. The commission concluded that Njonjo acted to the "prejudice and calamitous detriment of Kioni in misuse of his office as minister which revealed an inhumanly cruel streak".
Earlier in the report, one reads of how in May 1979 a little known clinical officer with the Mombasa Municipal Council, Emmanuel Karisa Maitha, was approached by Njonjo’s point man, Said Hemed, to contest the Bamburi ward civic seat.
Apparently the former AG was trying to build his political empire. Convinced that he was in the right camp, Maitha resigned from his ‘small’ job at Mwakirunge Health Centre to contest the Bamburi ward seat.
"Hemed asked Maitha to accompany him to Nairobi to meet Njonjo who would be helping him financially in the campaign," the report reads.
When they got to Nairobi, Hemed went to Njonjo’s office leaving Maitha outside for one hour and a half. When the two finally came out together, Njonjo only shook hands with Maitha after confirming who he was and told him he was too busy to discuss anything with him.
Later, Hemed delivered the message that Njonjo was very happy to meet Maitha. Maitha was of course elected as councillor and later as a Member of Parliament.
-------------------------------------------
By Sunday Standard Correspondent
Talk about strange bedfellows and no other duo fits the bill more than Mr Charles Mugane Njonjo and Mr Raila Amolo Odinga.
Njonjo, once a powerful Attorney General, would not shake hands with members of a certain community for fear of contracting cholera at the height of his career.
Raila on the other hand, is a populist oppositionist who once while in detention in 1982, accused Njonjo of conspiring to overthrow the constitutionally elected Government of President Daniel arap Moi. He was detained on similar accusations.
"I stated that I had received information to the effect that Mr Njonjo had made plans to overthrow the Government of Kenya with the aid of South African and Israeli mercenaries and the General Service Unit.
To this effect substantial amounts of arms had been smuggled into the country. Some of these arms were kept somewhere in the Aberdares and the said coup was to take place on August 5, 1982.
I also said that the same source had said that several South African and Israeli agents had come into the country to make arrangements for the coup," reads part of Raila’s statement to coup investigators.
Clad in his traditional three-piece stripped suit with a watch on a golden chain dangling down his neck, Njonjo resembles the snobbish English aristocrats of an era long gone.
Raila on the other hand is a crowd mobiliser who dresses to fit the occasion and would even teasingly or sarcastically address Njonjo to his face as Sir Charles, the Duke of Kabeteshire.
Njonjo chose to lead a quiet life of family and business after his indictment by the judicial commission appointed by Moi in 1984.
He did, on few occasions, come out of the water to make caustic comments about the running of his church (Anglican Church of Kenya) and the State.
Most, however, chose to ignore the old man due to his age or his perceived insignificant political clout.
But by openly joining hands with ODM leader Raila, Njonjo has attracted much more attention and bared himself to open criticism, especially from Government operatives. He also has been criticised by commentators and callers on FM radio stations talk shows .
The verdict delivered by these groups depicts Njonjo as a bully in addition to being snobbish and arrogant. The only publication that documented the unsavoury attributes of the former AG was the report of the judicial commission appointed to inquire into allegations involving him. It was presented to the former President Moi in November 1984.
On page 57 of the report, the commissioners noted how in 1970 Jesse Mwangi Gachago was a director of Boskovic Air Charters Limited when it was taken over by someone from Holland. Njonjo then became a shareholder and director of the company.
Boskovic told Gachago he was under pressure from Njonjo that Gachago should quit the board of directors. Gachago quit," the report reads in part.
The report further shows how Gachago and Godfrey Muhuri Muchiri, who were both Members of Parliament, were convicted on charges of stealing coffee in 1978. They were jailed for five years each.
In April 1980, Muchiri and Gachago were driven from prison to Njonjo’s house in Muthaiga where he personally released them before the expiry of their jail terms.
The families of the two and Kiambaa MP Njenga Karume had been invited for the occasion. In his address to the gathering, Njonjo is reported have told them that Gachago and Muchiri were jailed because they were his political antagonists and had been associating with his political enemy, Dr Njoroge Mungai.
The other reason for their jailing was that the two of them had gone to plead with Mzee Jomo Kenyatta instead of pleading with Njonjo personally. It was said that Karume had sworn that the two would not go to prison.
Njonjo is also reported saying that Kenyatta had instructed him to drop the case against the two, but he apparently told the late president that he would rather resign than drop the case.
In their findings, the commissioners concluded that Njonjo’s conduct in relation to Gachago and Muchiri amounted to misuse of the office of the AG in seeking political support.
On page 63 of the report, the commission says Abdalla Ndovu Mwidau was a long serving employee of SGS and a director of its subsidiary, Super Freighters Limited, before contesting the Mombasa South parliamentary seat in 1979.
However, after obtaining clearance from Kanu, he got a message from Njonjo — through his boss — asking him to choose between his position in the company and resigning to contest in the elections.
There was no reason for this as SGS was not a Government organisation but through intrigues and manipulations from Njonjo, the provincial administration and a sacred company leadership, he finally opted for an early retirement package.
"He lost house allowance, free furniture, educational fees for 13 children, medical benefits, free car and petrol," the report reads.
Mwidau was also forced to sell his shares in the subsidiary company and not even the plea that they be transferred to one of his children was heeded. The commission found that by persecuting innocent Mwidau, Njonjo acted to his (Mwidau’s) prejudice and detriment.
According to that report, the senior superintendent of police Essau Kihumba Kioni was seconded to Kenya Airways from August 1978 as the security services manager. In January 1981 he discussed with a Mr Todd, an accountant in the revenue section, the issue of excess baggage weighing 270kg that had been flown in by Njonjo from London.
When it was confirmed with the London authorities that Njonjo had not paid for the excess baggage, the chief accountant discussed the matter with the airline’s Managing Director, Lord Cole and Njonjo was invoiced Sh36,272.50 on January 21, 1981.
On January 29 the same year Kioni was summoned to Njonjo’s office, where in front of Lord Cole and Simon Mbugua the then permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport, the former AG expressed his disgust at the police officer.
Njonjo showed Kioni the invoice as he wondered why there was "all this witch hunting" yet, the officer did not know anything about the invoice. Njonjo did not listen to his pleading that "some people were using him as a caterpillar to crush me".
Njonjo was subsequently issued with a credit note from the airline and at 7.30pm February 5, 1981; Lord Cole summoned Kioni to the lobby of the Hilton Hotel from where he was given a letter terminating his services with Kenya Airways.
Kioni was aged 40 then. He went back to the Special Branch but he was soon retired in public interest. The commission concluded that Njonjo acted to the "prejudice and calamitous detriment of Kioni in misuse of his office as minister which revealed an inhumanly cruel streak".
Earlier in the report, one reads of how in May 1979 a little known clinical officer with the Mombasa Municipal Council, Emmanuel Karisa Maitha, was approached by Njonjo’s point man, Said Hemed, to contest the Bamburi ward civic seat.
Apparently the former AG was trying to build his political empire. Convinced that he was in the right camp, Maitha resigned from his ‘small’ job at Mwakirunge Health Centre to contest the Bamburi ward seat.
"Hemed asked Maitha to accompany him to Nairobi to meet Njonjo who would be helping him financially in the campaign," the report reads.
When they got to Nairobi, Hemed went to Njonjo’s office leaving Maitha outside for one hour and a half. When the two finally came out together, Njonjo only shook hands with Maitha after confirming who he was and told him he was too busy to discuss anything with him.
Later, Hemed delivered the message that Njonjo was very happy to meet Maitha. Maitha was of course elected as councillor and later as a Member of Parliament.