JM Kariuki killing shocks the nation

Former Cabinet minister Simeon Nyachae in his book ‘Walking Through the Corridors of Service, An Autobiography’ narrates how assassination of the popular politician sparked dissent among Kenyans

The ideology of the propertied and non-propertied classes emerged in Independent Kenya in the 1970s.

In the ensuing debate, over economic class, it prompted JM Kariuki to remark that there was an emerging trend in Kenya where there would be "ten millionaires and ten million beggars".

In my view, that was where his troubles started. It seemed a genuine concern — reminding leaders there was a huge class of the poor emerging in the society. I thought it was a well-intended message — to remind leaders not to forget the poor. He was calling for attention to the poor who needed help. There was need to bridge the gap that was widening between those who owned property and the poor who owned nothing. But unfortunately, some people took it as if he was an anti-the well-to-do populist. Maasai herders at the foothills of Ngong Hills Forest soon found his lifeless body.

JM’s message awakened Kenyans, especially those with little resources. They became aware about their leaders and the massive wealth they had accumulated in a short while. What happened to JM caused my saddest moment in Central Province. Although there was no concrete evidence as to who murdered JM, generally there was a belief in the region that some Government machinery was behind his assassination.

President Kenyatta had regular contacts with his PCs and he would call me at least three times a week. I still remember vividly when JM died, Mzee Kenyatta was shocked and I saw this clearly when I was explaining to him the reactions on the ground at his Gatundu home.

Genuine shock

When I went to meet him in Gatundu for briefing following JM’s death, I would read from his face that the incident had shocked him. His reaction made me conclude that Kenyatta did not know anything about plans to kill JM. It could have been Government officials or some individuals, outside Government but President Kenyatta was obviously not in the picture. Through my training, I acquired a gift of establishing whether or not a person is involved when discussing an issue simply through facial expression and language. I concluded that the shock on the president’s face was genuine.

There was a lot of bitterness at the time in Central Province and indeed a song ‘Maai ni maruru’ (water is bitter) was composed. It clearly portrayed bitter feelings about the murder of JM. The song implied the Government, which was supposed to protect them, had turned bitter against them. To contain the situation, I used my official position then to invoke the Chief’s Authority Act to ban the song.

When I represented the President at the burial of JM, I read his speech despite the high tension. At the funeral, I was left with a feeling that if it were somebody else, probably a Kikuyu, sent with the message, he or she would not have been allowed to read it, because of very strong anti-Government feelings at that time. One could hear people talk in Kikuyu "let him read, he is only a messenger".

They viewed me as an outsider and not one of their tribesmen who they suspected to have been behind the death of JM.

I read it hastily — I read it all, folded it and decided to make my own speech. I condemned the murder and the people applauded. I could not help but hear people speak in low tones "this man is for us and is with us".

There were issues of conscience — JM was murdered and even the President condemned the killing in his speech. The problem was that the people had made up their mind that the Government had been involved in the murder and being the head of Government, Kenyatta "was part of the scheme that eliminated JM".

It did not matter how sympathetic the president’s speech was. People were not interested in what he said. There was tension of course, but people did not shout at me. There was a platoon of General Service Unit officers nearby to watch over and prevent any chaos that could have erupted.

I was aware of Government ministers who had been approached to read the speech, but they shied off. I knew Dr Julius Kiano and Jeremiah Nyagah were asked and they declined. Geoffrey Kareithi, who was the Head of Public Service, called me and said they had found it difficult to find a minister to send. Therefore, I was required to read the speech and being the President’s representative in the region, I had to represent him at the burial. I was given no option.

As a civil servant, I could not refuse my boss’s decision. But after condemning the murderer, some rumours started going round the same afternoon that my speech of condemnation would cost me my job. When I arrived in Nyeri, my wife Grace told me about the talk in town. I told her I would wait to be told by my bosses. That night, Kenyatta rang me up and asked me how the burial went. I told him there was tension, but it ended well and he responded that he had been told the same. And the discussion ended without the sacking that had been rumoured.

Warm feelings

Thereafter, I told my wife: "If my boss has told me that I am a brave man, where is my sacking coming from? When people realised I was not getting the sack, a few individuals from Kiambu who did not like me either as a person or the way I handled issues, started gossiping that I had survived because of historical relationship between my late father and Kenyatta.

I cannot dispute the fact that President Kenyatta had a soft spot for me. He had warm feelings towards me. I suspect that the main reason for this warmth towards me was that, just before the state of emergency was declared, as Kenyatta was travelling around the country, he visited Kisii.

The DC then and the police in Kisii alerted my father, then a senior chief. The DC summoned my father and directed him to ensure that this "bad man" was taken away from the Gusii community. Little did the DC know that already Senior Chief Koinange, a friend of my father, had sent an emissary to my father that his son in-law (Kenyatta) was touring Kisii and he should help him in all ways possible.