The Carpenter who Crafted Kenya: Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

In 2020, I Published this article on Wordpress.com. It was my first article. Two years later I bring it back to Substack.com. I hope you enjoy reading it!

The founding father of Kenya, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, at the Kenya International Conference Center(. KICC) Courtesy: Getty image

“You and I must work together to develop our country, to get an education for our children, to have doctors, to build roads, to improve or provide all day-to-day essentials.”

22nd August 1978, Tuesday still recounts how the sun rose, how it glared upon the mountain called Kiri-nyaga & how its setting was an a-thank-you-Lord to the drained nation of Kenya. It had grabbed away the most revered oracle Kenya ever came close to, shrouded by the light that illuminated the future & snatched the hope to become. The day is indelible in the books that tell history even after the so many years it happened. “MZEE IS DEAD,” A coded headline read in the Nation daily on the fateful day, sending a traumatic Shockwave all over the republic.

How could Mzee die? How could a man of his stature be subject to death? The questions ran all over, but one thing was finally clear, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was dead. Yes, dead! Dead like all the heroes, dead like the unwavering Mboya, like the ever-smiling Nkrumah of former Gold Coast, now Ghana & now he was dead as he was. For a moment, Kenya didn’t breathe; it drowned in anxiety, fear, curiosity, mourning & awkward expectations.

Johnstone Kamau wa Ngengi alias Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was born in Nginda village, today in Kiambu County, at around a disputed time of 1887/1890. At birth, his parents, Muigai & Wambui, christened him Kamau. When he was ten, Muigai passed away & as per the customs of Gikuyu, her mother was married to her husband’s younger brother, Ngengi. At this point, he took the name Kamau wa Ngengi (Kamau son of Ngengi).

Because of bad blood between him and his stepfather-cum-uncle, Kenyatta left home to live with his maternal grandfather, who practiced traditional healing, Kongo wa Magana, where he helped the man. In November 1909, he joined the Church mission of Scotland (CMS) at Thogoto as a pupil. Kenyatta wasn’t the pupil to impress teachers with brilliant scores on papers & on realizing this; he joined carpentry at the same mission school in July 1912. In 1914, he gained the name Johnstone after baptism & so he was Johnstone Kamau wa Ngengi.

After moving out of CMS, Kenyatta moved to Thika & joined an engineering company. He, later on got very ill & move in with a friend till his recovery, when he moved to live with the Maasai to avoid being drafted into World War I to fight for the British. At Maasai land, he camped with his aunt, who had married a Maasai chief. Here, he adopted the customs & the ways of the people, wearing their jewelry, including a beaded belt- Kinyata. From this, he went into calling himself, Kenyatta.

Kenyatta’s venture into politics came through his allyship with an executive of Kikuyu Central Association (KCA), James Beauttah. From this point, Kenyatta slowly drove his head deeper into the arena of politics. He joined KCA and was promoted to the party’s secretary because of his good command of the English language he held. The party financed him into getting a motorbike which he used to tour the Kikuyu region, opening new KCA offices.

In May 1928, KCA launched a magazine, “Muiguithania,” translated as The Reconciler/Unifier, which outlined the grievances of the natives under the colonial regime. Kenyatta became the publication’s editor but hugely worked as a translator into the Kikuyu. Later on, the publication was shut down even after Kenyatta’s effort to salvage its closure through his seductive writings toward the colonial authorities.

In February 1929, KCA sent Kenyatta to London, Britain, to lobby for the release of Harry Thuku, who was in exile & the land demands of the Kikuyu. However, this mission was futile since Kenyatta’s financial situation worsened, either out of misspending or insufficiency. In 1930, Kenyatta returned, commanding a lot of respect & glory from the Kikuyu because of his long stay abroad.

The following year, in May 1931, Kenyatta set sail to Britain, where he ended up living around Europe & its environs for a decade & a half years. During his stay in Europe, he attended many anti-racist/colonialism conferences, and went to schools such as the London School of Economics Communist University of the Toilers of the East, among others. He also forged relationships with pro-independence individuals, the likes of George Padmore. His stay came to a halt in September 1946 when he received a request to come back.

James Gichuru, the President of the Kenya African’s Union (KAU), formed in 1944, stepped down in 1947 to pave the way for Kenyatta to take over its leadership. This finally allowed him to be noticed as well as to be recognized as a national leader. Kenyatta clamored for independence during his tenure at the helm of KAU, though denouncing being partisan in the ongoing Mau Mau liberty struggles.

1952, saw Jomo Kenyatta, Bildad Kaggia, Fred Kubai, Achieng’ Aneko, Paul Ngei & Kung’u Karumba, and the famous Kapenguria Six, get detained at Lokitaung, after a five-month trial. The arrest was a blessing in disguise to Kenyatta since he gained political supporters from all over Kenya because he was seen as a political martyr. Therefore, his name grew exponentially throughout the years, while his political fame turned running tongues up & down to demand his release. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, a Kenyan political activist, was at the forefront of ridiculing his detention. This sent unrest to the nation as it furiously demanded the release of its political savior.

Hope, liberty, optimism, joy & self-rule loomed in April 1959 when Mzee was finally set free from Lokitaung. This was after constant pressure from both internal & external forces. In May 1960, Kenya African National Union nominated Kenyatta as its president. In 1963, Governor Patrick Reinson was replaced with Malcolm MacDonald, who forged a strong friendship with Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. This led to a smooth transition of power in 1963 from the colonial government to self-ruling Kenya. He became the first Kenyan head of government- the Prime Minister on 01st June 1963. Kenya was finally declared a republic in December 1964.

Kenyatta’s leadership proved he was an outstanding figure fit enough to rule the Republic of Kenya. Evidence to show this is the appointment of Jaramogi Oginga as the Vice President, despite being an opposition leader & from the tribe of Luo. Mzee’s government bore the aspect of inclusivity since its cabinet entailed most of the tribes of Kenya. However, this didn’t last long before Kenyatta & Oginga clashed.

Under his reign, many economic, social & political developments took place. Kenyatta’s anti-violent ways to gain independence still stayed intact by cultivating peace between the natives & the white minorities. He urged Kenyans to get back to “mashambani,” translated as villages, to work hard.

His reign was not devoid of flaws & faults, as history & facts tell. Political assassinations and tribal dominations among the cabinet and others were a few of the failures associated with the Kenyatta reign. 22nd August 1978 marked the 15 years of the reign of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. However, Kenyatta still bears recognition as the founding father of the Republic of Kenya.

Today, we commemorate 44 years since his departure, leaving a remarkable mark in the annals of history. Mzee was a man after the heart of Kenya.