A sneak peek into Kenya’s recent history after independence, the life & times of a couple of politicians is exciting and inspiring, but also tragic, because they weren’t allowed by the powers that be

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THREAD on the interesting facts about life of Tom Mboya

Tom Mboya was born in Kilimambogo in Central Kenya, not Luo Nyanza.

His parents were low income sisal farmers. However, he managed to go omto good schools such as St Mary's Yala and Mangu High School, that time know as Holy Ghost College

As a man with sharp mind & charm, leadership and great oratory skills, he ascended the ranks fo any organization that he came into

Mboya was many things, above all a trade unionist with an exciting organizational skills and a love for people.

He achieved a lot at a younger age

At 28 yrs Mboya was elected Conference Chairman at the All-African Peoples' Conference convened by Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana

During the same time, he organized for Kenyan students to be airlifted to US for studies.

This airlifts have us the likes of Wangari Maathai (Noble Peace Prize) Barack Obama Senior, and a couple of other notable post independence trailblazers

Mboya created the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) as the Cabinet Minister for Labour

As Economic Planning Minister, Mboya wrote the Sessional Paper Number 10 of 1965: African Socialism and its application to planning in Kenya.

Critics of the paper say it was worthless.

HIS ASSASSINATION

Rising through the ranks in politics and loved by the entitled Kikuyu leaders, Mboya was used to put a stop to Jaramogi Oginga by first, competing with Jaramogi's candidate in Nairobi, Argwings Kodhek and winning.

Secondly, Mboya competed with the...

...more learned Odinga for the leadership of the African Elected Members organization.

Thirdly, Mboya and Odinga's rivalry was more open as they supported rival candidates for various positions in the KANU party.

After the Kikuyus elite were done 'cutting Jaramogi Odinga to size', with the change of party constitution to weaken the Vice President Jaramogi in 1966, Odinga left KANU and formed Kenya People's Union.

It was what the powers that be wanted and now they set their sights on Mboya.

Mboya 'had performed his most important function of helping thr FAMILY liquidate Oginga. It was not his time to be liquidated'.

- Ochieng P & Karimi J, The Kenyatta Succession

Mboya, after doing all this to finish Jaramogi, went ahead to propose that 'all those who had crossed the floor (joined KPU) must seek a fresh mandate with the people. Most of Odinga's MPs didn't make it after the' Little General elections' of 1966

KANU won more seats

However, there was still Mboya in the way

Ochieng and Karimi explain that, the FAMILY, rich consisted of people from the Kenyatta clan (cousins, in-laws) wanted the presidency to remain with them. The clamor for constitutional change was at an all time high

Mboya found himself in the other group, outside the president's circle, KANU 'B' according to Prof. Walter Oyugi, in the book Politics and Administration in East Africa.

The constitution had to be changed. But the FAMILY feared Mboya still because of his numbers in Parliament.

So, they made the law that 'in case the president died, the Vice President would succeed him for the remainder of the term'.

This now is 1968

To cut Mboya to size, they conducted elections, where his allies lost badly, for example, his arch enemy Charles Rubia...

...caoyured the Party leadership in Nairobi, substantially weakening Mboya's political base, remember, Mboya had dominated Nairobi politics for 12 years, since 1956.

In Mombasa, a member of Mboya's KANU 'B' Ronald Ngala was also ousted from party leadership in Mombasa.

The ouster of Ronald Ngala was disputed but the 'Returning Officer' and bosses in Nairobi quickly ratified the change through quick registration (Kibaki swearing at night, or Chebukati announcing without forms 34A etc)

Mboya was caged.

A documentary on YouTube said, there was an assassination attempt on him before July. A policeman is said to have shot at his car but luckily Mboya was not in the car.

On the 5th of July, 1969 Mboya was shot dead on Government road (now Moi Avenue) as he was walking out of Chaani's Pharmacy.

Mboya's killer is still a mystery, though a Nahashon Isaac Njenga Njoroge was arrested later, convicted of the murder and hanged.

The YouTube documentary has a twist, stating that it wa actually the GSU Boss Ben Gethi who shot Mboya because 'they didn't want the plan to fail again'.

Mboya's assassination brought a lot of riots and the country was unstable for more than 6 months.

'Gimichamo en Mari, gomodong ki igen'

'Jowi!'