Beyond Politics: A Conversation with Kiraitu Murungi

By Njeri Rugene

Kiraitu Murungi easily fits into the category of 'Philosopher-King', a leader who, according to Plato, combines intellect, intelligence and wisdom in leadership. An alumnus of the University of Nairobi and the prestigious Harvard University, Kiraitu has applied these qualities to serve the society at constituency, county and national levels. In this candid interview with veteran journalist, Njeri Rugene, Kiraitu is blunt, brutal, frank and rational on politics and development issues. The first of its kind in the country, this lengthy interview is not only inspiring, but also an insightful and igniting expos of realpolitik in Kenya.

• Language: English
• Publisher: East African Educational Publishers
• Release date: Aug 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9789966566430

Njeri Rugene

Njeri Rugene is a renowned Kenyan print journalist based in Nairobi. A graduate of the University of Nairobi's School of Journalism, Njeri worked with the Nation Media Group (NMG) for more than 25 years.

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Acknowledgements

Tracing and recapturing some of the political events of the 1990s called for accuracy for this conversation.

It is for this reason that I counted on the help of my colleague, editor and human rights journalist, Robert Breen Laban, in research and editorial.

My gratitude also goes to lawyer Kelvin Muthomi of the Meru County Governor's Office for assisting in putting this book together.

Preface

Kiraitu Murungi’s intellectual approach to politics has always stunned me.

In the Kenyan political scene, the focus of the players is basically to safeguard their interests and as such, they have to always be ‘politically correct’ in action and deed.

Since joining active politics in 1992 as the MP for South Imenti, I have watched and followed him closely, almost hanging onto his every word over the years. And whenever he made certain statements or utterances that would be considered political suicide, I would tell myself: He has done himself in; he has talked himself out of Parliament. I was wrong. Close to 30 years, Kiraitu Murungi is still in active politics, getting elected back-to-back; he has not lost any of the six elections he has contested: for the member of National Assembly, the Senate and governorship. Similarly, he has been in government, as a cabinet minister, since 2002 when the then opposition took over from the repressive KANU regime of the late President Daniel Moi.

I got to know Kiraitu Murungi in February 1992 on his return from exile in the US. Then, there was a lot of political activity that came with the clamour for change and reforms. It was an exciting time for political journalists. I was among those journalists and a budding parliamentary reporter with the Nation Media Group.

The presence of a fresh breed of politicians who joined Parliament after the 1992 elections, especially the ‘Young Turks’ who were mainly from academia, human rights and members of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s FORD Kenya party, was rejuvenating. They included Paul Muite, Gitobu Imanyara, Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi and James Orengo as well as Martha Karua of the Democratic Party (DP), among others.

As a political journalist, working with them was not only a learning period but also fulfilling. Their eloquence during debates on the floor of the House and outside and firm understanding of issues and courage was impressive and enriching to my work. Out of this professional relationship, some people branded me an activist journalist.

Although political and selfish interests and personal differences had led to the splitting of the powerful Forum for Restoration of Democracy (FORD) lobby group; leading to the defeat of the opposition by Moi and his KANU regime, they remained the faces and forces of change and political reforms.

Kiraitu Murungi was very good with words in his contributions, speeches and statements in the House and at press conferences. They were delivered with precision and laced with hard-hitting catchy expressions capsuled in humour. His quotes were a gem. To date, these still define him.

For close to two decades that I worked as a parliamentary reporter and editor at the Nation, I loved and enjoyed covering him.

Kiraitu is one of the few Kenyan politicians who are also authors.

His prowess with words and command of the English language are evident in his titles that include In the Mud of Politics published in 2000 in his second term as an MP and The Song of my Beloved, a collection of poems released in 2006. He authored the poems while in self-isolation after stepping aside from the government awaiting investigations into corruption allegations. He was later cleared and reinstated to the cabinet by President Mwai Kibaki.

Based on these publications under his belt including the Kiraitu Murungi: An Odyssey in Kenyan Politics co-authored by Peter Kagwanja and Humphrey Ringera in 2012, a lot has happened since, especially his new experiences as a grassroots leader in Meru County.

Kiraitu has been closely associated with Kenyan politics and all its major players. It is time to take stock of the political experiences including the reforms based on the current constitution in the face of a possible first amendment under the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), spearheaded by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga.

Governor Kiraitu hosted the first BBI rally in Mount Kenya with Raila Odinga in attendance as the chief guest on February 28, 2020 at Kinoru Stadium. It was a delicate balancing act for him to host Raila Odinga in a region where he enjoyed minimal support; particularly because it was about two years after the bruising 2017 General Election. Selling the controversial initiative would certainly not be a walk in the park. I was keen to see how politician Kiraitu would handle the matter without destabilising his support base and status quo.

He was calculative. He delivered a less than three-minutes speech declaring that President Kenyatta had removed the crocodiles from River Jordan and it was safe for Raila Odinga to go to Canaan. But he cautioned the move with his familiar statement: I am not as foolish as I look. Based on this and more other observations, I felt it was time for the governor to put the experiences in writing. I told him as much. This, therefore, is the genesis of Beyond Politics: A Conversation with Kiraitu Murungi.

The interviews started in May 2020, mainly via electronic platforms given the Covid-19 situation. The result is this question-answer thrilling political strip tease which traces Kiraitu’s journey from the poverty of a Mau Mau detention camp as a child to the prestigious Harvard Law School, a human rights lawyer, a street fighter for multiparty democracy, a Member of Parliament, a party leader, a cabinet minister, a senator and governor as well as pains and joys of politics and the contradictions of Kenya’s political elite.

Njeri Rugene

June 2021

Introduction

Many Kenyans may only know Kiraitu Murungi as a politician an elite one. Those who have followed his political journey closely can identify with this description. The veteran politician has an impressive way with words. And these words, especially when delivered from a public podium, are usually escorted with some short infectious laughter; never mind the controversy they may carry. Literally, he is the first to laugh at his own jokes before inviting his audience to join him. Whether this delivery is a deliberate political strategy or is part of him could be a story for another day. Actually, the answer may be somewhere in this question and answer conversation which gives some exclusive insights into his personal and public life.

He walks the reader through his political experiences and relationships with the highest office in the land, moreso in the Mwai Kibaki administration where he was seen as the blue-eyed boy; holding two key cabinet positions, an insider in the Uhuru Kenyatta regime and a county boss. Kiraitu also opens up about the intricacies on alleged corruption scandals levelled against him as a cabinet minister in the Kibaki administration detailing the emotional drain, feeling of betrayal and the impact it had on his family.

In addition, Kiraitu addresses the local politics in Meru County, delving into his relationships with Members of County Assembly (MCAs), MPs and even archrivals like Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya — his main opponent in the 2017 gubernatorial race. He admits that the campaigns ahead of that General Election left Meru balkanised along clan lines and explains what he is doing to zip the cracks. He further speaks about the politics of local media ownership, singling out two MPs he says use their television stations for personal political gain and to specifically bring him down.

While growing up in a Mau Mau detention camp in Kionyo, Meru with his mother, Anjelika, as his father, Daniel Kiraitu, fought the colonialists away in the forest was torturous for a child, this hardship was to later define him as a warrior for the ‘Second Liberation’ and shape him into one of the most influential and prominent Kenyan politicians.

He throws the reader back to the ‘Second Liberation’, its politics and interactions between the players, especially the ‘Young Turks’ — the name given to the then fiery opposition politicians fighting for reforms and removal of the dictatorial KANU regime. He also captures the role of the church in this fight. He explains his close ties with Rev. Timothy Njoya, the role and impact the clergyman had on his political life and their interesting bond.

Another significant influence to his personal public life is his education at Alliance High School, the University of Nairobi and the Harvard Law School in the US.

Having seemingly parted political ways with Raila Odinga, a comrade in arms of the Second Liberation struggle (a common phrase used to refer to the struggle from the 1980s to early 2000s to remove the dictorial regime of the late President Daniel Moi and KANU), the two are brought together by the controversial Building Bridges Initiative which has placed the country on the path of the first amendment of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. The book spotlights their relationship and ideology for reforms. His friendship with the Deputy President William Ruto, the embattled Jubilee architect, has also been given a mention.

Away from politics, the father of four gives a peek into his family as a grandfather of six and still looking forward to more grandchildren.

Kiraitu displays his soft side, which he has rarely done elsewhere, speaking about his special bond with his 95-year-old mother and his wife Priscilla Kathuguchi, his religious beliefs and uncertainty about the future.

Is Kiraitu about to retire from politics or is the Old Crocodile still in the river? Read on to find out.

Let us start from the beginning. Who is Kiraitu Murungi? Tell us about yourself and your family.

Most people don’t know me. They only know my name. I am a son, a husband, a father and a grandfather. I have a large family. My father, Daniel Kiraitu, died in 2008. My mother, Anjelika, is about 95 years old. I have a stepmother — Eunice Kanugu Daniel. I have ten brothers and six sisters. My wife is Priscilla Kathuguchi Murungi. We have one son and three daughters, two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law and six grandchildren. I pray for many more.

I am named after my grandfather who was popularly known as Kiraitu. Kiraitu or Gikama was a hot iron rod used to administer justice in the Meru traditional trials by ordeal. My grandfather used to administer it to suspected criminals. He was a very respected elder in our community.

Where did you grow up and where were you educated?

No one chooses where they are born. This is determined by accidents of history and biology. I grew up in a rural village called Kionyo, on the eastern foothills of Mount Kenya. I attended Kairiene and Kionyo Primary Schools then proceeded to Chuka High School and The Alliance High School. I then joined the University of Nairobi to study law, after which I proceeded to the Kenya School of Law. Later, I was to join Harvard Law School in the US. I also attended a Commonwealth legal drafting course and a course on joint venture contracts at the International Law Development Centre (IDLI) in Rome. I have attended many seminars on human rights, democracy and development in various countries. Education is endless.

You spent your early childhood in a detention camp with your mother during the State of Emergency in 1952. She was tortured and brutalised by colonial forces yet, somehow, she managed to raise you to be who you are. How do you feel about her?

My mother is very special to me. She is a very kind, simple, pleasant and beautiful woman. I love her very much. In fact, she stays with me. She suffered a lot during the State of Emergency but she is not bitter. She jokes about it. She likes listening to Joseph Kamaru’s songs. My mother has never given me any money in her life but she has given me a lot of warmth, love and happiness. She has a very sharp memory and loves telling stories. In addition, she has a very positive attitude towards life. I thank God for her.

Does she explain why she likes the late Kamaru’s songs? Could it be that some of the songs remind her of the Mau Mau experience or youth? Do you know her favourite?

I have never asked her why she likes Kamaru’s songs. I also like them. Sometimes we sing them together. I believe they remind her of her earlier days as a young woman. She is always telling stories about her experiences during the Mau Mau days. I believe some of the songs remind her of those experiences. Her favourite Mau Mau songs include Muti uyu Mukuona; Wiyathi na Ithaka, among others. She also loves others like Ndari ya Mwarimu and Mboco iri Mbucha which have powerful social messages.

How about your late father? He spent six years in the forest as a Mau Mau freedom fighter when you were growing up. What was your relationship with him?

I had not seen my father until I was about to go to

Reviews for Beyond Politics

[Carlton Mwendwa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful read. As a Kenyan I can definitely say Kiraitu is one of the best leaders we have ever had.