Gachagua’s Wake-Up Call: Drawing Lessons from Karanja’s Downfall, Urging DP to Take a Step Back
Dr. Josephat Njuguna Karanja, the vice president of former President Daniel Moi, would be the equivalent of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in terms of tough talk.
And because Gachagua is a good student of literature, allow me to tell him the tale of Karanja, from which he could learn a few things – lest he stumbles.
The road to hell is also a part of the political infrastructure. It is well-lit and possesses its champions. Mr. Gachagua must therefore slow down.
When Karanja became vice-president, he had only been a member of Parliament for seventeen months, having been elected to represent Mathare in a by-election in October 1986.
Karanja was the perfect example of a man who exhibited hubris.
Despite this, he was appointed vice-president in March 1988, after Moi decided to reorganize Mount Kenya politics by removing the highly polished Mwai Kibaki.
It was a surprising selection given that Karanja was a rookie.
It is identical to what we have heard about “Riggy G,” whose bravado and challenge with political etiquette are comparable to those of Karanja.
ALSO READ: Ruto Walks a Tightrope: Mt Kenya’s ‘One Man, One Vote, One Shilling’ Debate Adds Pressure
Riggy G was not a popular candidate within the UDA party when Dr. William Ruto chose him to be his running mate. And this is the first trap door.
Mr. Gachagua has worked tirelessly over the past six months to establish a power base around Mt. Kenya in the hopes of becoming the political pivot of the region.
First, a summary of Karanja: He had won the Mathare by-election with the help of a power broker named Ndururu Kiboro, the Mathare Kanu sub-branch chairman at the time.
Kiboro was a political schemer in Mathare and always supported the victorious side. Before decamping, he had supported Andrew Ngumba and Munyua Waiyaki.
Kiboro believed that the West African proverb “Only a stupid fly will follow a corpse to the grave” applied to Kanu’s politics of secrecy and deception.
The lack of a certificate demonstrating English proficiency prevented him from obtaining a seat in the legislature.
Karanja’s election was a farce. Several ballots with his name neatly marked on them were discovered.
Only nine percent of registered voters cast ballots. However, Karanja enthusiastically accepted his new position as an MP.
Karanja responded to claims that he was a “puppet imposed on the voters by an outsider” by stating that no other candidate could claim Mathare ancestry.
Others believed he was inexperienced, so Gachagua should learn from them.
Karanja became the target of the political establishment as a result of his efforts to unite the Gikuyu, Embu, and Meru communities, which, in essence, meant that he was attempting to establish a personal power base.
This caused President Moi and his advisors to sound the alarm.
ALSO READ: Uhuru’s Strategic Moves: Countering Ruto’s Government as Jubilee Meeting Approaches
When Mwea MP Kathigi Kibugi accused Karanja of causing divisions in Central Province and said that as a leader, he should unite the people, Cabinet Minister Arthur Magugu, a die-hard Nyayo supporter, responded, “(Dr. Karanja) is not the leader of Central Province.
This is not the case. President himself is the leader of the Central Province. Therefore, the Vice-President and Minister of the Interior have nothing to do with this, and he is not permitted to do so.
Gachagua has insisted that only UDA supporters should receive state appointments.
Karanja was once accused of tribalism for demanding forty percent of all vacant positions on the Nairobi City Commission, which administered the city.
Magugu stated, “When you see that list, you will feel regret. However, this gentleman claims to be a national leader.” Magugu then addressed Karanja, saying, “Mr. Vice-President, project a national perspective. It will not be a single tribe that leads this country to greater heights, but rather Kenyans.”
And this is something Gachagua can take with him as he defends his continued obsession with comparing the Kenyan state to a shareholder company to justify the Kenya Kwanza government’s biased appointments.
It may only be a matter of time before that information is used against him.
Like many politicians, Gachagua is a well-known tenderpreneur who made millions by manipulating the government tender system.
However, he should also be aware that one of the accusations that led to Karanja’s downfall was that he imported three million gunny bags from Bangladesh. It was reported that a portion of the funds originated in Uganda and was intended to undermine President Moi.
ALSO READ: Murkomen’s Startling Warning to Cabinet Colleagues Following Ruto’s Abrupt Termination
As corruption scandals emerge in the Kenya Kwanza administration, it is only a matter of time before the names of government officials he recruited are expelled.
Principal Secretary for Health Dr. Josephine Mburu was sent home this week amid the Sh3.7 billion Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) mosquito nets scandal.
In addition, the President ordered a reorganization within Kemsa, appointing Irungu Nyakera as the new chairman with the directive to clean up the organization.
This week, when he met with journalists, President Ruto appeared unsure of how to respond to questions about embarrassing statements made by his deputy.
Nevertheless, the President has also made lopsided appointments, and the Church has decried the rise of tribalism. The only distinction is that Gachagua defends the appointments on the basis that they are the direct result of voting patterns.
Gachagua can also learn from Kibaki’s relocation to the Mt. Kenya region. To the extent that he was once reprimanded as vice-president of Othaya, signifying that he had lost national influence.
In addition, he was openly accused of sponsoring candidates in the region to establish a power base. Karanja was subject to the same charge. Gachagua should study these two individuals.
Some politicians contend that had Karanja’s hubris not taken root. He might have survived the intrigues that led to his resignation on Thursday, April 27, 1989.
Karanja had no chance when piranhas from his backyard were set upon him. As his demise was predetermined elsewhere, as part of Moi’s plan to shape his survival and organize Mt Kenya politics.
ALSO READ: CS Njeru Advocates for 3% Housing Levy: Benefits for Kenyans Explained
Similarly, Gachagua should be wary of potential political piranhas that could be unleashed against him from any direction. The issue is that he’s already displayed his tail.
He has demonstrated a desire for more political power and is positioning himself to succeed Ruto on a political landscape where Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is in line.
Karanja was oblivious to the rise of Mr. Moneybags —Kuria Kanyingi, a loud-mouthed Nyayo crusader with unaccounted-for wealth.
As corrupt as Mr. Kanyingi was, he targeted churches and women’s organizations with his endless supply of cash.
And every weekend, a camera was reserved for him at the state broadcaster, just in case he had a function. Gachagua should not be as shocked as Julius Caesar was when Brutus stabbed him: “Even You, Brutus!”
Karanja, due to his naiveté, believed that Mr. Kanyingi was working for Magugu. That was the first error.
Consequently, he committed the error of attempting to end Magugu’s political career in Githunguri. On January 25, 1989, he rallied Kanu officials in his constituency to pass a vote of no confidence against him.
In addition, he had orchestrated heckling during a rally in Magugu on January 29, 1989. Karanja had made contact with a live wire, as Magugu was no pushover. He fought back, and Karanja was the loser.
ALSO READ: Allies Unleash Critiques: Ruto’s Plan Faces Fresh Hurdles
Karanja’s downfall was orchestrated from afar and staged in Kiambu. Where it was asserted that a ‘kneel-before-me’ politician was attempting to undermine President Moi. The party headquarters swiftly condemned the politician who shall remain nameless.
James Njiru, the minister for National Guidance and Political Affairs. And Oloo Aringo, the Kanu secretary-general, agreed to state upon receiving complaints from Kiambu.
In a separate rally held in Kiambu on March 9. Kanyingi and Limuru MP Samuel Mwaura brought a rear-end damaged Mercedes-Benz with the registration number KZF 645.
They informed the rally that there was an attempt on the MP’s life as he returned from Moi’s residence in Kabarak. Politics can be brutal and unclean.
Once more, the vice president was accused of acting as president when Moi was out of the country. Later, President Moi stated that he had never appointed a vice president.
In April 1989, he was named in Parliament as the politician’sowing discord’; the remainder of his fall followed the Kanu grace-to-grass pattern.
As a result, Karanja’s desire to become president quickly vanished. When he died of cancer in Nairobi on February 28, 1994, few people remembered his rise and fall. Dear Mr. Gachagua, go slowly. Or, as Mugithi musicians would sing, “Slow down, teacher, you’ve come too far.”
Gachagua’s Wake-Up Call: Drawing Lessons from Karanja’s Downfall, Urging DP to Take a Step Back
HEY READER. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS SITE BY CLICKING ADS. DON’T FORGET TO HIT THE NOTIFICATION BELL FOR MORE UPDATES AROUND THE GLOBE.
