Charles Njonjo set to visit school named after him - Njonjo Girls High School

A group students at Njonjo Girls High School pose beside their school bus in a recent photo. A good number of the school’s alumini hold senior posts in the civil service.

BY WANJOHI NDERITU

Former powerful Attorney General Charles MuganeNjonjo is scheduled to visit Njonjo Girls High School in Nyahururu division, Laikipia County, on July 2, this year.

  This will be a great  opportunity for those who have only heard of Njonjo to see this great statesman, a living legend, who has refused to age up.

  There is no doubt that his old friend GG Kariuki, who caused the school to be named after Njonjo when he too was a very powerful cabinet minister in the early eighties, will be franking Njonjo as the both these buddies, the school fraternity and others reminisce on various issues.

  It is worthy noting that the late Joseph Mathenge, who replaced GG as Laikipia West MP in what is still remembered as a rigged parliamentary elections amid the :traitor issue of the Moi regime that saw Njonjo, GG and others cease politically, had successfully moved to have the school drop the name Njonjo out of sheer political malice.

  It was only after the political temperatures went down that the school reclaimed its name, as did others like GG Rumuruti (named after GG) and Ngumo (named after GG’s grandfather.

Njonjo Girls, now a provincial school, is among the top public schools in Laikipia County. More than 4,000 students have passed through the institution over the years. It has produced a wide variety of successful professionals and business ladies.              Some of them are expected to grace the occasion on July 2, when Njonjo will also preside over a funds drive towards the construction of modern library. (See Advert on this issue’s cover page).

  The Home News highlights a bit of Njonjo’s profile and the politics of those days.

  A son of former colonial chief Josiah Njonjo, Charles MuganeNjonjo received a degree in law from the Fort Hare University in South Africa. After Kenya attained Independence in 1963, he was appointed Attorney General and quickly distinguished himself as a no nonsense albeit effective and efficient bureaucrat and technocrat.

Njonjo registered the GikuyuEmbuMeru Association (GEMA), but soon became opponent of the group and in 1976 charged some of its members including KihikaKimani and NjengaKarume with treason - the order was soon turned down by President Jomo Kenyatta. He held the Attorney General's post until 1979. The same year he was elected Member of Parliament for Kikuyu Constituency and in 1980 he was appointed Minister of Constitutional Affairs in the government of Daniel arapMoi. In 1983 he was forced to resign, and left public life after a judicial inquiry concluded he had abused his office amid allegations that he was trying to take over the presidency from Moi. In the early 80's he was the chairman of East African Wildlife Society.

   In 1998, he returned to public life, and was appointed chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). In October 2006 there were reports that Njonjo was making a comeback in Kenyan politics, including his show of support for RailaOdinga.

Njonjo has a reputation for snobbery. He is ironically nicknamed "Sir Charles" or "Duke of Kabeteshire", and it is rumored that while at Alliance High School, he rode to school on horse back at the start and close of school terms, escorted by Tribal Police, and that he was the only African who lived in the exclusive whites-only Muthaiga suburb prior to Independence.               There are widespread allegations that Njonjo has made statements that he is ashamed of being a Kikuyu, that he cannot shake hands with a Luo, and that he cannot entrust his safety to an African pilot, and although many such allegations may be conjecture, they have earned him a reputation as the epitome of snobbery in Kenya.

  As AG, some of  Njonjo’s greatest moments were with MzeeJomo Kenyatta and he  enjoyed working for him, travelling with him, listening to him and watching him as he transformed the country from a British colony to independent prosperity.

  He says Kenya’s biggest problem is that it has been eaten up by corruption and those supposed to fight the vice are unable or unwilling to do their work.

  He hit out at the Ninth Parliament for increasing their salaries and allowances instead of addressing the issue of poverty, which is partly to blame for the prevalence of corruption.

Njonjo hoped that  the 10th Parliament would serve the people first.

  The former AG readily admits he was one of the most powerful people in the Kenyatta government.

  “Perhaps I was powerful because Kenyatta was a powerful president and I was working for him. As the Attorney-General, I headed a powerful ministry as, apart from prosecutions, I was also in charge of investigations,” he was quoted in a Press interview.

  He said there is no truth and no foundation to the allegations that he was a traitor in Moi’s government, and though thesewere truly trying times (the inquiry period), he at times enjoyed their singing for he believed their (his accusers) lies would eventually put them to shame.

   At the time of the 1984 Njonjo commission of inquiry into his conduct, it was alleged that Njonjo even imported his fruits and water directly from the United Kingdom. These allegations were not hard to believe because it is also at this time that it emerged that Njonjo's trademark pinstripe suits were custom made with his initials "CN".

  He lost quite a few friends then, but there are those who steadfastly stood by him, led by business partner Jeremiah Kiereini, former cabinet colleague GG Kariuki and the late spymaster Joseph Kanyotu.

Njonjo is the non-executive Chairman of CFC Financial Services Limited, CFC Life Assurance Limited, Heritage A.I.I. Insurance Company Limited and Z. Boskovic Air Charters Limited respectively. He is also a non-executive director of several companies including Gambit Holdings Limited, African Liaison & Consultant Services Limited, The Heritage A.I.I. (Tanzania) Limited and CMC Holdings Limited.

Njonjo has also been the face of exclusivity over the years. He is only known to patronize exclusive establishments such as the Muthaiga Country Club, and patronize high profile events such as dog shows organized by the exclusive East African Kennel Club.

Njonjo has always advocated for standards. On his resignation as Attorney General in 1980, and subsequent election as member of parliament for Kikuyu constituency, Njonjo pushed for parliamentarians to build stature and credibility, and shun direct engagement in activities such as owning and running kiosks. Njonjo's feeling was that parliamentarians focus their energies on bigger ventures.