Leaders who shaped Kenya’s political agenda

PHOTO | FILE The late Joseph Martin Shikuku.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By BERNARD NAMUNANE bnamunane@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Friday, May 31  2013 at  22:09

IN SUMMARY

• Jaramogi Oginga Odinga: Arguably the father of opposition politics in the country he was arrested in the biggest crackdown by the colonialists on Mau Mau and Kenya African Union leadership. He is credited with refusing an approach from the colonialists to form a government until Jomo Kenyatta was released from prison.
• Thomas Joseph Mboya: A trade unionist-turned-politician, he was central in the formation of the Kenya Local Government Workers Union, he is credited with some of the best policies during the early years of Kenya’s independence, including Sessional Paper No 10 on African Socialism when he was Economic Planning minister.
• Michael Wamalwa Kijana: Renowned for his oratory skills, the former Vice-President was credited with holding together the National Rainbow Coalition government, which had managed to end the hold of Kanu on power since independence.

Kenya’s independence was a feat achieved through the struggle of thousands of individuals 50 years ago.

Since then, hundreds of leaders have taken to the stage to help shape the politics and determine development of the nation. Out of the individuals who stepped out, there are some whose contributions either positive or negative — or both — stand out.

The Kapenguria Six

Perhaps the best known group in the clamour for Independence after the Mau Mau. These six men were detained in 1952 for their fight against colonialism. Some joined the trade union movement to push for their rights as others joined mainstream politics.

Bildad Kaggia fought in the second World War and came home to lead the trade union movement in East Africa and helped to found the African Independent Church. He died a poor man on March 7, 2005.

Kung’u Karumba continued with his business interests after being set free. In June 1974, he mysteriously disappeared during a business trip to Uganda. There are claims he was murdered by Amin’s people.

Fred Polwarth Kubai, like Kaggia, Kubai was a pioneer trade unionist. As secretary of the Transport and Allied Workers Union, he organised strikes by Nairobi’s taxi drivers to rise against colonial rule. He died in 1995.

Achieng’ Oneko refused to join leaders accused of frittering away the gains of independence. He quit government in 1966 to join his socialist comrade Jaramogi Oginga in the Kenya People’s Union. He was arrested in 1969 after chaos erupted in Kisumu during a visit by President Jomo Kenyatta. He returned to Parliament in 1992 as the MP for Rarieda on a Ford Kenya ticket. He lost the seat in the elections five years later. Oneko died in 2007.

Paul Ngei was a former King’s African Rifle and Makerere University trained journalist. He charmed his way into President Jomo Kenyatta’s heart while at Kapenguria when he physically blocked a colonial jailer from flogging the future president. He represented Kangundo constituency for 21 years from 1969 and served as minister between 1978 and 1990. Ngei died in 2004.

Jomo Kenyatta: As founding father of the nation, he led the independence fight against the colonialists and was jailed in Kapenguria for nearly a decade. He became Prime Minister in June 1963 and President on December 12, the same year.

He wrote Facing Mount Kenya (1938) and Suffering Without Bitterness (1968). He is the father of President Uhuru Kenyatta. Kenyatta died in 1978.

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga: Arguably the father of opposition politics in the country he was arrested in the biggest crackdown by the colonialists on Mau Mau and Kenya African Union leadership. He is credited with refusing an approach from the colonialists to form a government until Jomo Kenyatta was released from prison.

He served as the country’s first Vice-President but he quit government in 1966 to form Kenya People’s Union. He was detained in 1969 for two years.

His attempts to form a political party in 1982 were foiled just like the National Democratic Party in 1991. He co-founded Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD), which pushed for the resumption of multiparty politics in Kenya.

He was elected Bondo MP in the 1992 elections.

Thomas Joseph Mboya: A trade unionist-turned-politician, he was central in the formation of the Kenya Local Government Workers Union, he is credited with some of the best policies during the early years of Kenya’s independence, including Sessional Paper No 10 on African Socialism when he was Economic Planning minister.

He organised the Airlift Africa Project, which took many young Kenyans to study in American universities just before Independence and took part in the Lancaster House Conference in London. 
He was gunned down in Nairobi on July 5, 1969.

Josiah Mwangi Kariuki: A former Mau Mau detainee and socialist politician, he served as President Jomo Kenyatta’s private secretary for six years. During that period, he came out strongly against some of the vices he was witnessing in government. He was elected Nyandarua MP in 1974 and named assistant minister even as the government attempted to discredit his popularity. Kariuki was killed in 1975.Peter Mbiyu Koinange: The son of a former colonial chief, he represents the face of politicians who surrounded President Jomo Kenyatta in what is commonly referred to as the Kiambu Mafia. The Kiambaa MP for 15 years, he held several senior positions in government. He was Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’s in-law.

Charles Mugane Njonjo: The former powerful Attorney-General during Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’s administration, Njonjo was also a son of a colonial chief.

He blocked a cabal of politicians from central Kenya who wanted to change the Constitution to stop then Vice-President Daniel Moi from succeeding President Kenyatta.

He was named Constitutional Affairs minister by President Moi, contributed to making Kenya a one party state.

However, he was forced to resign in 1983 in the light of aborted August 1982 coup.

Masinde Muliro: A freedom fighter credited with playing a central role in shaping the country’s politics. He came out as a ruthless negotiator. He was a critic of the Kenyatta and Moi governments on corruption and tribalism. In 1990, he teamed up with proponents of multiparty democracy to form FORD. However, he died in August 1992 before the first multi-party elections were held.

Ronald Ngala: The leader of Kenya African Democratic union (Kadu), alongside Masinde Muliro, fought for the rights of small tribes in what was described as opposition to the tyranny of big tribes during the struggle for Independence.

He agreed to dissolve his party to join Kanu for the unity of the young nation. He was appointed Cabinet minister after Independence. He died in a suspicious road accident in 1972.

Martin Joseph Shikuku: The self declared “People’s Watchman” was a popular politicians to the masses as he represented them. A freedom fighter in his own right, the son of Oyondi was detained by the Kenyatta government for declaring that the ruling party Kanu was dead on the floor of Parliament.

He was among a crop of politicians who took on President Moi in 1990 in what was dubbed as the second liberation — restoration of multiparty democracy.

He died on August 22, 2012 aged 79.

Kenneth Matiba: A career civil servant immediately after Independence, he joined Parliament in 1983. He was detained in 1990 for advocating multiparty politics where he suffered a stroke. On being released, he teamed up with other politicians to form FORD.

However, he led a splinter group of the form called Ford-Asili together with the late Shikuku to contest the 1992 elections where he came second to President Moi. A rival of former President Kibaki, he boycotted the 2007.

Nicholas Kipyator Biwott: The self declared “Total Man”, was the most powerful minister during the Moi administration. He also served as MP during the first term of former President Kibaki’s reign.

In 1991 he was arrested after the murder of Foreign Affairs minister Robert Ouko after being named by Scotland Yard detective John Troon. Investigations later found no evidence in the allegations and he was released. He quit Kanu and form the National Vision Party.

Raila Odinga: Detained three times by the Moi government on allegation of taking part in the 1982 coup and fighting for multiparty democracy in the late ‘80s. He has a knack for taking on the government, even if he is part of it, and has ably shifted parties three times without losing touch with the voters. He had the first stab at the presidency in 1997 where he came third. In 2007, he claimed his victory was stolen by incumbent Mwai Kibaki and in 2013, he declared that his victory was also stolen.

In 2008, after mediation by Kofi Annan, he agreed to serve as Prime Minister in a grand coalition government with President Kibaki.

Michael Wamalwa Kijana: Renowned for his oratory skills, the former Vice-President was credited with holding together the National Rainbow Coalition government, which had managed to end the hold of Kanu on power since independence.He took over Ford Kenya from the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in 1994. He died in 2003.

Mwai Kibaki: The retired President surprised many Kenyans with the vigour with which he campaigned for the adoption of the new Constitution despite being labelled a fence sitter.

He became president in December 2002. The drive to grow the economy while failing to show a strong hand in a way demystified the office of the President where Kenyans were used to hearing retired President Moi every day.

Even though the 2007 post elections violence left a scar on his legacy, the country realised economic growth during his tenure
.