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THE current clamour by a persuaded section of the political best across the board to replace Kenya’s constitution is not anything new; we have been give before. Two years before illustriousness death of Kenya’s first boss, Jomo Kenyatta, in August 1978, and after the hotly doubtful 1974 general election, this uproar reached its zenith, with warmth protagonists coming out openly harangue hold public barazas across description country to caution people bring into being the danger of having memory Daniel arap Moi succeeding Jomo.

This group wanted the organisation changed so that a hidden microphone president could not automatically alter president upon the death look upon the president, an amendment ditch would have made it unsuitable for Moi to succeed Jomo. Moi was a Kalenjin expend Baringo and the so-called “Kiambu Mafia” despised him and could not in their wildest dreams countenance the fact that efficient non-Kikuyu could ascend to Shape House.

Nearly forty years later, think about it February 2018, a little-known last first time MP for Tiaty constituency in Baringo County, conventional wide media coverage when, reduction of the blue, he future changes to Kenya’s 2010 building.

The 45-year-old MP, William Kamket, through his Constitution Amendment Invoice 2018, advocated for the affixing of a powerful position center prime minister and the scrapping of the position of agent president. (The current constitution interest hardly a decade old, taking accedence been promulgated on August 27, 2010.)

Less than a month after, on March 9, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his strident civil nemesis, Raila Amolo Odinga, plod a surprise manoevure, appeared reservation the steps of Harambee Villa – the seat of create – to declare a civil détente by publicly shaking hurry and smiling broadly for position cameras.

Soon after, Raila, who had successfully petitioned Uhuru’s cross presidential win on August 8, 2017 at the Supreme Chase, only to stay away breakout the fresh presidential election disincentive October 26, 2017, started harrowing for constitutional change.

Through the Estate Bridges Initiative (BBI) formed instantaneously after the handshake, Raila has repeatedly said he is assistance for a future “all inclusive” government that will be sans of cycles of violence drift invariably manifest themselves every discretion year.

The former prime path, who has been tasked familiarize yourself spearheading BBI – a entity made up of both Impresario Uhuru and Raila’s circle always confidantes – has said dump the Initiative will come put back with suggestions on areas have as a feature the constitution that need ordain be changed. Since then, here have been additional disparate voices supporting this clamour for hall, among them the National Conclave of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) and the Kenya Conference have a high opinion of Catholic Bishops (KCCB).

Through Building honourableness Bridges Initiative (BBI) formed like lightning after the handshake, Raila has repeatedly said he is boost for a future “all inclusive” government that will be deficient of cycles of violence ramble invariably manifest themselves every discretion year.

The former prime clergyman, who has been tasked appear spearheading BBI – a target made up of both The man Uhuru and Raila’s circle supporting confidantes – has said become absent-minded the Initiative will come become known with suggestions on areas resource the constitution that need difficulty be changed.

The Kiambu Mafia

But amazement have been here before.

Purely two years into his kinglike presidency, the septuagenarian Jomo Kenyatta surrounded himself with political honchos from Kiambu, who in claim course were to infamously get hold of the sobriquet Kiambu Mafia. Goodness group consisted of Jomo’s inside kitchen cabinet; among the peak powerful were his brother-in-law Mbiyu Koinange, the de facto ruler, his nephew Dr.

Njoroge Mungai and James Gichuru, who, around Kenyatta’s detention years acted thanks to the president of the KANU party, holding fort until 1960 when he vacated the bench for Kenyatta after the latter’s release from prison. It admiration this Kiambu Mafia that proverb to it that political contour was firmly established and amalgamate among and within an emergent Kiambu cabal, so much consequently that the cabal boasted depart “Uthamaki ndugakera Chania.” (“The civil kingdom will never see character light of day beyond Chania.”) Chania is the river give it some thought flows through Thika town.

Cut your coat according to your cloth is the river that divides Kiambu County from Murang’a.

With cracks beginning to emerge between Mzee Kenyatta and his first do good to president, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, owing to early as 1965, the concert-master and the cabal felt assured enough to take on Jaramogi and his band of popular in the ruling party KANU.

First, to show his sedition and to dissociate from Jaramogi, Kenyatta did away with greatness Luo cap that Jaramogi difficult to understand gifted him, which Kenyatta many times proudly wore.

It was in decency aftermath of this disagreement avoid the scheming of the Kiambu Mafia, with the full discernment of the president, came be concerned with full view when it christened for a KANU conference stop in midsentence Limuru town in 1966.

Hint at the sleight of hand in shape the cabal’s project now friendly, the mandarins, with the expenditure of the brilliant, cosmopolitan take up, urbane politician Tom Mboya (who happened to be a Luo), warily crafted the idea trip eight vice presidents to domesticated and humiliate Jaramogi. The intensity vice presidential slots were biramous among the then eight homeland of the country.

The deliberate judgmental of Limuru town in Kiambu District as opposed to renting the meeting in Nairobi, significance capital city, was very influential.

Was Mzee Kenyatta and class Kiambu Mafia telling all wallet sundry that the country’s Uthamaki now rested in Kiambu District?

Mysterious deaths and political assassinations

However, glory ideology of Uthamaki (based more the idea that only fill from the Kikuyu ethnic embassy are entitled to run distinction country) only gained feverish presentness among the Kikuyus after rank assassination of the mercurial Clergyman of Economic Planning and Transaction, Thomas Joseph Mboya on July 5, 1969, at the unstable age of 39.

It was around this time that representation famous 1969 oath-taking was in confidence and hurriedly organised to supposedly bind the Kikuyu community disclose defend its Uthamaki from andu aa ruguru (communities from Hesperian Kenya).

“The secretive oathing of 1969 was the zenith of Uthamaki consolidation,” Nelson Mwangi Gichohi, probity former all-powerful Nakuru District Ambassador, once told me.

“Most warning sign the oathing was concentrated difficulty Gatundu division. There was further oathing in Nyandarua District, however I will be lying allowing I tell you I understand the specific locations.” (Gichohi dreary at the age of 96 and was buried on Oct 5, 2018 at his Nyandarua farm.)

The Mafia was wary commentary any politician who remotely seemed like he would succeed excellence aging monarch Jomo Kenyatta who had suffered his first cable in 1969.

However, the ideology get the message Uthamaki…only gained feverish currency mid the Kikuyus after the killing of the mercurial Minister point toward Economic Planning and Development, Saint Joseph Mboya (TJ) on July 5, 1969, at the attempt age of 39.

It was around this time that probity famous 1969 oath-taking was in one`s heart and hurriedly organised to professedly bind the Kikuyu community make ill defend its Uthamaki from andu aa ruguru (communities from Western Kenya).

“With an aging and ailing Jomo, who was prone to movement attacks, the Kiambu Mafia in a world of your own that his death might transpire before they had dealt accomplice all the real and illusory opposition,” a retired politician go over the top with Central Kenya, who was commit fraud a young man and who witnessed first-hand the political machinations of the dreaded and fiendish Kiambu Mafia, told me.

“Their first hurdle was to convincing the opposition within the mainstream KANU party, before moving critical to deal with the KADU wing of the ruling party.”

KADU, which stood for Kenya Continent Democratic Union, had been aura opposition party in the lead-up to the 1963 general elections. Its chief protagonists, among excess, were Ronald Gideon Ngala reprove Daniel arap Moi.

The band propagated a “majimbo” constitution renounce would be based on federalism, a system of government become absent-minded was favoured by the “White Highlands” British settlers who loved regions to have more autonomy.

On January 29, 1969, five months before Mboya was gunned summary on Government Road (today Moi Avenue) at 1.00pm as purify stepped out of a chemist’s shop.

But five months beforehand, [Clement Michael George] Argwings Kodhek was involved in a limiting accident at the junction a variety of the present-day Wood Avenue topmost Argwings Kodhek Road. He was 46 years old when flair died.

Meticulous and suave, Kodhek, neat as a pin UK-educated barrister, had been Jomo’s lawyer at his trial arbitrate Kapenguria in 1952, alongside Dennis Pritt, a Queen’s Council (QC) and Achhroo Ram Kapila, halfway others.

At the time exclude his death, Kodhek, whose Country names’ initials were turned insert a play of words tough his Luo people – Chiedo Mor Gem (meaning the storm of Gem), was the Pastor for Foreign Affairs and birth MP for Gem.

On December 12, 1972, Ronald Ngala, who difficult to understand been KADU’s president and simple founding member before the crowd was dissolved in 1964 practice join KANU, was involved show a mysterious freak accident parallel with the ground Konza, 15km from the Machakos town junction.

Thirteen days posterior, on Christmas Day, the preceding Minister of Power and Discipline died at the Kenyatta Public Hospital aged 49. Nobody has ever explained why Ngala, who traditionally celebrated Jamhuri (independence) Allot with the president, was mobile to his coastal home divorce that Jamhuri day.

In March 1975, the Uthamaki “hyenas ate sidle of their own”, as picture politician John Keen put lead to.

The badly mutilated body trap Josiah Mwangi Kariuki (popularly leak out as JM), the 46-year-old Tiresome for Nyandarua North and monumental Assistant Minister in the Establishment of the President, was overshadow in the Ngong Hills Copse. JM’s eyes had been gouged out and his lifeless item had been left in dinky path frequented by hyenas.

“Furious Nyeri Kikuyus immediately accused the Kiambu Mafia of killing JM,” whack Gichohi.

Although JM’s rural residence was in Ol Kalou, hoop he had a big quarter, his ancestral origins were lure Nyeri. The Kikuyus from Nyeri vividly recalled what the Kiambu Mafia had said in 1966 – that Uthamaki would at no time transcend River Chania.

Gichohi narrated though three years before the passing of Jomo, the Kiambu Synthesize, suffering from “psychological insecurities generated by the founding president’s nauseous health”, felt sufficiently threatened overtake JM’s rising popularity countrywide wide the extent that they contracted to put a stop stage his presidential ambitions.

On diverse occasions, said the late Metropolis DC, the Mafia had warned JM to cease his public ambitions but he ignored them.

The formation of a parliamentary calculate committee to investigate the wasting of JM was aimed dead even assuaging the hurt nationalist plant of a majority of Kenyans who identified with JM. Manifestation also sought to exonerate Jomo’s government from suspicions that fjord had ordered the killing consume the populist politician.

The undertake committee was chaired by Prophet Mwangale, the then the Snow under for Bungoma East. To outwardly lend credence to the conference, it included some of JM’s friends like Waruru Kanja.

Gichohi narrated how three years before say publicly death of Jomo, the Kiambu Mafia, suffering from “psychological insecurities generated by the founding president’s ill health”, felt sufficiently imperilled by JM’s rising popularity overall to the extent that they decided to put a decrease to his presidential ambitions.

Be aware of many occasions, said the gray Nakuru DC, the Mafia abstruse warned JM to cease circlet political ambitions but he overlooked them.

The committee’s final report involved Mbiyu Koinange, the then Manage of State in the Prayer of the President and Jomo’s bosom buddy and brother-in-law.

Thrashing that the Mwangale-led committee esoteric dragged Mbiyu’s name in greatness report, Jomo is reported succumb have said that to possess Koinange’s name in the idea was like having his recover name there.

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The president trashed the report, which also privileged to the sacking of chifferobe ministers John Keen, Masinde Muliro and Peter Kibisu. Keen was the Assistant Minister for Farming and the MP for Kajiado North. Masinde was the Clergyman of Co-operatives and the Titivate for Kitale East. Kibisu was the Assistant Minister for Laboriousness and the MP for Vihiga.

They all were accused emulate endorsing and supporting the report.

Within just six years, the Kiambu Mafia had snuffed out glory lives and political careers presumption two political heavy weights – Tom Mboya and JM Kariuki. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the earlier vice president, was put drape house arrest between 1969 predominant 1971.

Still, the years mid 1970 and 1976 were risky times for the Kiambu Syndication. Mzee Kenyatta’s health was frailty by the day, and punch was just a matter delineate time before they woke extremity to the fact that prohibited was no more.

To the range that they did not wish to be caught flat-footed, position Mafia must have realised ditch it was impossible to shed every possible threatening political intimidate, so they cleverly came in one piece with a political scheme: say publicly creation of a party exclusive a party.

The creation snare Gikuyu Embu Meru Association (GEMA) by the Kiambu Mafia plainly coincided with the weakening show consideration for the ruling party KANU. GEMA, which was supposed to promote to a welfare organisation in conception, was in fact a means for the Kiambu political protagonists’ scheme to propagate Uthamaki metaphysical philosophy as they sought to strangulate KANU’s nationalist credentials, which were a direct threat to their devious plan.

The “Change-the-Constitution” movement

As Mzee Kenyatta’s health was deteriorating lief, the Kiambu Mafia hatched other plan towards the end wheedle 1976: the Change-the-Constitution mantra.

Become accustomed a constitution that expressly whispered that in the event wind the president was incapacitated excellent suddenly died, the vice top banana would automatically take over depiction reigns of power, the Kiambu Mafia fought tooth and course to stop Daniel arap Moi from succeeding Mzee Kenyatta.

The improvement man for the group was Dickson Kihika Kimani, the Lock up for Nakuru North and honourableness controversial leader of the Ngwataniro Mutukanio land buying company.

Comic story September, 1976, the group, to one side by the political operator Kimani, held its first meeting timely Nakuru to propose that primacy rules of succession be derived form. A month later, Kihika, whose base was Nakuru but who had aligned himself with greatness Kiambu Mafia, repeated the contention on October 3 in Limuru as he held a fund-raising meeting.

The activities of the Change-the-Constitution protagonists were stopped by justness all-powerful Attorney General, “Sir” Physicist Njonjo, who, two days after, issued a terse statement: “It is a criminal offence insinuate any person to encompass, visualize, devise, or intend the inattentive or deposition of the President.”

Kenyatta followed Njonjo’s statement with fulfil own from State House: “The government reiterates its earlier cost by the Attorney General.” So the Uthamaki project of rendering GEMA/Change-the-Constitution group of 1976 esoteric been nipped in the bud.

Before his fall from grace lead to 1983, Charles Njonjo, the systematic and powerful Attorney General, hype reputed to have boasted depart were it not for him, Vice President Moi would mass have ascended to the rule.

“Had I not laboured unaccompanied, to ensure that the supplies of the constitution were adhered to, Moi would not own been president and there would have been chaos in representation country,” Njonjo is reported envisage have said this to gross who cared after Moi difficult entered State House.

When Moi became president, Kihika Kimani pledged empress loyalty to him with primacy following statement on September 8, 1978, two weeks after Mzee’s death: “President Moi is picture only natural leader Kenyans possess with the necessary qualifications on top of lead the nation following blue blood the gentry untimely death of President Kenyatta…It is the people, the adulthood of Kenyans, if not breeze, who are now pleading exchange him to become their President.”

Cynics believed that this professed fidelity was just a scheme give somebody no option but to buy time, as many constrict the Kiambu Mafia believed lapse Moi would be a incapacitated duck president and would categorize hold office for long.

They were wrong: Moi consolidated consummate power and remained in uncover for 24 years. (In their book, The Kenyatta Succession, Patriarch Karimi and Philip Ochieng separate the various intrigues, plots fairy story personalities behind the Change-the-Consititution movement.)

Kenya’s political folklore has it go off at a tangent before his ouster from regular life (through a commission confess inquiry into his conduct impervious to President Moi), Njonjo had in that the early 1970s been crafty and marking time to be successful President Jomo Kenyatta.

His tacit support – apparently through administrator constitutional means – for Moi and his wars with nobleness Kiambu Mafia were a speak in his master game pathway to wrestle state power be bereaved Moi after taking credit set out “planting” the former vice governor in State House. His disreputable remark, “Engethua ndogoria itingekinyera nyeki” (A limping leader sheep cannot lead the rest of nobleness flock to greener pastures), symptomatic of that Moi was a fail president and therefore just “a passing cloud”, was used unearthing incriminate and label him uncut traitor.

The return of Uthamaki

Twenty-four adulthood after GEMA and the Change-the-Constitution adherents had failed to space Vice President Moi from beguiling over from Kenyatta, who in hushed tones died on the night several August 22, 1978, the Uthamaki project reared its head in times past more on the eve keep in good condition the third multiparty elections get Kenya in December 2002.

Illustriousness scion of the Kenyatta parentage, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, was operating for the presidency against Mwai Kibaki, a portly conservative minister from Othaya, Nyeri County, who had united with Raila Odinga to form a formidable aspiring leader to the younger Kenyatta bracket Moi’s KANU party.

Kenya’s political convention has it that before jurisdiction ouster from public life…Njonjo esoteric since the early 1970s archaic conspiring and marking time shout approval succeed President Jomo Kenyatta.

Consummate presumed support – apparently put on proper constitutional means – convey Moi and his wars have a crush on the Kiambu Mafia were well-ordered ruse in his master play plan to wrestle state command from Moi after taking estimation for “planting” the former useful president in State House.

The Change-the-Constitution movement of 1976 was unmixed scheme by a certain civic of the Central Kenya carpetbaggers to stop a Rift Ravine Kalenjin politician from succeeding Presidentship Jomo Kenyatta.

The current needle for changing the constitution has been interpreted in certain residence of the Rift Valley go awol as a plot by organized certain Central Kenya political circle to stop another Rift Gorge Kalenjin politician – Deputy Maestro William Samoei Ruto – hit upon taking over from President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is serving sovereignty second and final term.

Pin down essence, then as now, Gulf Valley is the political music hall of brinkmanship.

The Kiambu mandarins only remaining Change-the-Constitution movement of 1976 requisite the help of Jaramogi, who in their first meeting confine Nakuru, sent his political meaningfully and former Kenya People’s Conjoining (KPU) leader, Achieng Oneko, be bounded by represent him.

For some firmly it looked like Jaramogi was ready to lend the surgical procedure his nationalist credentials. Even in spite of the Kiambu Mafia had orchestrated Jaramogi’s political banishment, they desired for his singular political support.

The Change-the-Constitution movement of 1976 was a scheme by a settled section of the Central Kenya carpetbaggers to stop a Discord Valley Kalenjin politician from subsequent President Jomo Kenyatta.

The contemporary push for changing the combination has been interpreted in make up your mind quarters of the Rift Vessel region as a plot next to a certain Central Kenya civic cabal to stop another Movement Valley Kalenjin politician – Substitute President William Samoei Ruto – from taking over from Maestro Uhuru Kenyatta…

Then as now, graceful section of the ruling Festivity Party, led by a splinter of the Central Kenya governmental class, has roped in Raila Odinga, Jaramogi’s second son, adjoin help them push for deft change in the constitution.

Conj albeit, these same political players imitate in the recent past named Raila all manner of defamation, including telling him he evenhanded a “slow punctured politician” dowel is “too old and requisite retire”, they now seem humble have rediscovered his political purpose.

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David Murathe, Manager Uhuru’s lackey and chairman interrupt the Jubilee Party, recently spoken that Raila should not estimate of retiring from politics, owing to he was still energetic skimpy and Kenya needed his look of politics.

The build-up to high-mindedness Change-the-Constitution push of four decades ago was preceded by deaths, house arrests, and incarcerations.

Determination the current Change-the-Constitution movement besides be accompanied by the have killed of certain politicians’ careers? time will tell.