The imperial VP with a shortlived career

Kalonzo Musyoka, Kenya’s tenth vice-president, is unlikely to endure a fall from grace so bruising as his fifth counterpart, Dr Josephat Karanja did 20, years ago. The diminutive Kiambu politician, Kuria Kanyingi, was the draftsman, if not the actual architect, of Karanja’s woes. Kanyingi accused Karanja of acting "like a small god in heaven, demanding that politicians kneel before him, and claiming he was "both acting (when Moi was away) and president-in-waiting of Kenya."

On April 25, 1989, another David versus Goliath (David Mwenje versus Josephat Karanja) duel took place on the floor of Parliament, after the Embakasi MP rose under Standing Order No 20 and told the Speaker, late Moses arap Keino, a ‘No Confidence’ motion be passed against the VP.