By Nairobian reporter
Newspaper editors, those slave drivers who set the agenda, are often faceless, anonymous, and rarely in the limelight.
Not so for ‘mad man’ George Githii – the courageous, controversial and ‘dangerous’ polka dot bow-tie sporting editor, who penned personalised page-one editorial barbs besides having a gun that conveniently slipped from his well-cut business suits.
Githii, the only editor to have headed Kenya’s two largest media houses, had a small, lithe frame that bellied his combative free spirit when he was hired as Daily Nation’s fourth Editor-in-Chief in 1965. President Jomo Kenyatta’s former Press Secretary was then 29.
And at a time when any ‘dissidence’ saw offenders cool government porridge in Manyani Prison, Githii was unrepentant promising this “newspaper will not flatter Kenyatta or the government” as an administration should not be allowed to have absolute power, “there must be checks and balances”.
In Parliament, where MPs often called for Githii’s detention, Tom Mboya wondered whether “we got to be told like a pack of school boys so we obey the wishes of the Nation?”
Githii retorted: “For governments that fear newspapers, there is one consolation. We have known many instances where governments have taken over newspapers, but we have not known a single incident in which a newspaper has taken over a government.”
Githii, whom Kenyatta often summoned at State House, feared not biting the hands that fed him. During the height of ‘70s Middle East crisis, Aga Khan, the Nation’s founder and majority shareholder, backed the Muslim Arabs. Githii, a Christian, supported the Israelis… and threatened resignation if he was arm-twisted into slanting the editorial arguing, “I am in charge here!”
Githii’s reign was famously stained by one shameful incident that lecturer Peter Mwaura often cites in Communication Policy classes at the School of Journalism as a classic case of “how not to misuse journalistic ethics.”
Populist JM Kariuki, the MP for Nyandarua North, disappeared for five days but was later found murdered in Ngong Forest on March 7, 1975. Despite sworn statements from reporters that JM’s body was at the City Mortuary, Githii forced a front page, misleading a grieving nation that JM was in Zambia!
On July 28, 1982, Lonrho bought The Standard and hired but fired Githii the same day after a scathing editorial calling President Moi’s insinuation of detention without trial as “spurious and untenable.”
Lonrho, keen to cut deals with the government, feared the hot head would upset the apple cart. George Githii left journalism and Kenya for good to reportedly be a preacher in Canada.
