Matiba’s driver tells his secrets of survival

Robert Mwaniki at his home

December 14, 2014 
By Waikwa Maina @PeopleDailyke

Driving very important persons (VIPs) is a dream job for many drivers. But, Robert Mwaniki has a different story after years of experience.  He was Kenneth Njindo Matiba’s personal driver for nine years.

“I will never drive a VIP, regardless of whether he or she is a politician or not. I know of politicians whose drivers work for two days without a meal or a sleep.

Some have worked for decades without a leave. Luckily, Matiba was very understanding and humane,” says Mwaniki. He recalls  a case where an exhausted driver nearly collapsed of hunger, after driving his boss for two days without a meal.

Mwaniki says VIPs direct their drivers on where to be driven to, without informing them the span of a meeting, thus, a driver remains in the car for hours, only to be directed to drive to another venue. Nevertheless, some drivers go for months without salary.  “Our case was different. Matiba was not in charge of our salary. He was generous and gave us money for lunch.

One could have survived on handout money from Matiba besides the salaries which were processed by one of his companies,” he adds. Driving the former powerful politician gave him opportunity to drive other VIPs including the late John Michuki and President Uhuru Kenyatta when they visited Matiba. He recalls how Uhuru supported him and a bodyguard, after escorting him from Matiba’s Mombasa residence to airport.

“It was in 2002 and Uhuru had made several attempts to have Matiba declare his support in his presidential bid, but Matiba was reluctant maintaining that Uhuru should wait for 10 years. He wanted Matiba’s support to get the larger Murang’a votes. Uhuru was very jovial and told us what transpired between him and Matiba, I was in company of a retired GSU officer who used to escort Uhuru to school but resigned to join Matiba’s security team,” he says.

Mwaniki believes Matiba’s financial downfall was choreographed and systematically implemented by people he trusted, adding that there were several attempts to assassinate Matiba, both for political and business rivalry between him and senior politicians. “There was a day when we spotted a strange, unmarked, car a few metres from Matiba’s Limuru home.

Our chase car dropped one of our guards to investigate,” he says. The security officer advised Matiba to leave his home, but he was adamant, Mwaniki says, adding that one of those who were assigned to execute him was against the idea. He called later and told him to leave his house with the family immediately, but Matiba left alone. “He was sneaked out of the compound squeezed in a boot in one of his manager’s private car to the airport.

The house was raided later that night; and his wife and a security officer sustained serious injuries,” says Mwaniki. In another instance of attack, Mwaniki says that Matiba become angry and directed his security to accompany him to the registrar of firearms and surrendered their weapons, saying he did not need them. He was then driven to Michuki’s house where they were  joined by retired President Mwai Kibaki, the late Kijana Wamalwa, Beth Mugo and other senior politicians.

Mwaniki says his life was always  in danger but did not quit because of the love he had for his boss, who he describes as very generous, understanding and kind.   Unlike other motorists who avoided a road that was cleared for the retired President Daniel arap Moi, Matiba never gave way to Moi’s motorcade. “My vehicle should not stop to give way to Moi’s motorcade.

Always drive at high speed and ignore them,”  this was first instruction the driver got from Matiba. Mwaniki claims threats on Matiba aggravated his health and his managers took advantage to steal from him.  “Most of his managers are richer than him today. They took advantage of his ailment and trust.

There was a lot of conspiracy and betrayals. I believe Matiba survived death attempts because of his closeness to his drivers and security agents. He treated them very well,” he says. Out of his busy schedule Matiba entertained his staff with stories. Mwaniki recalls Matiba his explanation how bedbugs forced him to quit teaching at the age of 29.

While laughing, Matiba paused:  “Do you know what bedbugs are? You don’t know because they have never bitten you.” Mwaniki says the irony was that bedbugs were part of life in the rural areas in those days. The staff house Matiba was given at Kangaru Primary School in Embu,  was full of bedbugs, he could not sleep and his body was swollen the following morning.

He quit the following day, but his father, who was also a teacher, was well connected in the colonial government and his son was posted to the ministry’s headquarters in Nairobi.  During a discussion between Matiba and Michuki in Matiba’s car, Mwaniki realised that besides politics, most of life – threatening battles against Matiba were on business rivalry associated with influential politicians.

Mwaniki claims Matiba’s enemies were friends-turned – foe, whom  he gave scholarships, and later encouraged to join politics. Mwaniki, who retired to his home at Kandundu village, Murang’a, recalls that Matiba used to say: “Thank you so much” to everyone, no matter how small a thing or service a person had offered.