How some chiefs morphed into powerful politicians

Then Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamwithi Munyi delivering a speech during the 36th UN day at the KICC, October 1995. [File, Standard]

There was a time chief could dare dream of becoming senior government officers away from the drinking dens where they spent most of their time battling with chan'gaa brewers and village scoundrels.

Such was the time that a chief could aspire to become a District Commissioner who presided over the entire district security committee, chaired the development board and was influential on how land was allocated in their areas of jurisdiction.

The DC of the time chaired the district liquor licensing board, the all-powerful entity that decided who could operate or could not operate a bar. And when the president came visiting and wanted a place to rest, if the post was far away from the capital city, the DC's residence became his lodging.

During this golden era, there were two assistant ministers as well as an elected MP. When the assistant minister in the office of the president, Kamwithi Munyi, was asked on April 1971 how many chiefs had been promoted the previous year, he responded that his counterpart for agriculture, Mr. J W Khaoya, Kitui East MP, C.J Kitonga as well his Aldai counterpart, S.K arap Choge were former chiefs.

According to Munyi, there were a number of district commissioners, who had once been chiefs but had been promoted to be deputy provincial commissioners. He also cited former Central Provincial Commissioner Charles Koinange as perfect example of this upward mobility.

Other high flying former chiefs were a Mr Mwenesi who had risen to the rank of an undersecretary as well as a Babu who had been appointed DC for Wajir.

“Mr Speaker, it would be an expensive task to go through the records of permanent secretaries. However, to be more specific OI have a list of officers who were once chiefs and who have since gone up the scale.” Munyi explained

Kitonga who proudly told Parliament that he was an elected member not appointed said I am ex-chief Kitonga. I am elected not an appointed member...could the assistant minister tell the House without joking how many chiefs especially from last year (1970) have been promoted to district assistants because this was not done by the government at all."

The members had sought to know what criteria the government used to promote chiefs, to which the Munyi replied, "It depends on one having the required qualifications and the existence of vacanies.

Munyi further said, "The place one comes from or where he was born is not a criterion in promotion of government officers.”