Njonjo ni mwana wa Yosia Njonjo aliyekuwa mkuu wa kikoloni na kupokea shahada ya sheria kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Fort Harekatika Afrika ya Kusini. Baada ya uhuru wa Kenya mwaka 1963, Njonjo aliteuliwa Mwanasheria Mkuu. Njonjo aliandikishaChama cha G.E.M.A, lakini hapo baadaye angekuwa mpinzani wa kikundi mnamo mwaka wa 1976 akawastaki baadhi ya wanachama wake pamoja na Kihika Kimani,Njenga Karume na uhaini - amri mara Rais nchini aligeuka na kutupilia hio kesi. Naye Mwanasheria Mkuu aliushikilia kazi yake hadi mwaka wa 1979. Mwaka huo huo alichaguliwa kuwa Mbunge wa jimbo laKikuyu na mwaka wa 1980 aliteuliwa kuwa Waziri wa Katiba katika Serikali ya Daniel arap Moi. Mwaka wa 1983 alilazimishwa kujiuzulu, na akaacha maisha ya umma baada ya uchunguzi wa mahakama alihitimiza alikuwa ananyanyasa watu ofisini mwake huku ikiwa na madai kwamba alikuwa anajaribu kuchukua urais kutoka Moi.[1]. Hapo mapema mwaka wa 1980 alikuwa mwenyekiti wa Idara ya Shirika la Afrika Mashariki ya Wanyama. [2]Ngoja nikamsake habari zake huyu mnae mjadili, then nitarejea
Alikuwa mtumwa Wa kifikra
NJONJO EXCLUSIVE:
I miss the power to do good, former AG Njonjo says
Is Kenya better or worse now than it was in the 1960s?
Yes, even your shilling is worse off.
Your suits are an urban folklore. Is it true that you once had a suit that had your initials – CN – inscribed in the stripes?
Yes, I used to have that suit; bought it in London, tailored in London.
Why pinstripes?
That’s what I like — not a plain one like yours. (Grins)
I don’t even wear blazers, I did all this for you. Don’t you think I have tried?
Yes, you have tried but next time you come here without a tie, I will show you the door.
How many of those suits do you own?
I don’t know, maybe 20?
What has been your greatest loss in life?
My greatest loss was the death of President Jomo Kenyatta. There was a man I followed and trusted and that’s the man who used to lead the country with a rungu (club) but at least we were united. I could go to North Eastern and come back. You try and do that today, you’ll be back a corpse.
Who is your closest and most trusted friend?
Today? (Pause) I trust myself. It’s difficult to say, apart from my own family, the only man I trust is Richard Leakey. I hope he saves our wildlife with his new appointment (as chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Services). (Pause) Who is the editor of your paper?
What is the most common question people ask you when they meet you?
They don’t ask me anything, they are usually intimidated. But you are a brave young man, asking me all these questions, I commend you for that. Thanks.
When you once went to Ronalo Foods in town for lunch with Raila, a cross-section of your tribesmen felt, at that time, that you were jumping in bed with the enemy, they felt betrayed….
(Long stare) Don’t Kikuyus eat ugali?… (Pause) Don’t they? Why can’t I eat ugali with Raila without it being turned into a cinema?
What kind of a person were you in your prime; standing at the elbow of the bearded Jomo Kenyatta – the first Attorney-General of an independent republic, well-scrubbed in your pinstripe suit?
You know, I miss the discipline of that time. I miss the power I had, power that I could use for the common good. I miss the nation that we had then, a strong nation. There is nothing that went on that we didn’t know about; we had the proverbial long arm of the law.
We were always two steps ahead, we knew what conversation you had in your house the previous night. What happened in Garissa recently would never have happened because we had total control of security.
What has changed over time for you, socially and politically?
What has really changed is this new Constitution that we have. It is good but at the moment, because we don’t understand it, it’s bad and it’s dangerous. It has brought a lot of misunderstanding, ambitions and greed for power.
All these governors and this paraphernalia that go with it; motorcade riders. It’s brought ugliness and pretence. The whole intention of our Constitution was for government to be closer to the people. That hasn’t been the case.
Are you happy with the work of the Judiciary now?
No. (Pause) I think we have a lot of people there who are inexperienced. This is because of appointment of people who are not seasoned.
Source: I miss the power to do good, former AG Njonjo says
NJONJO EXCLUSIVE:
I miss the power to do good, former AG Njonjo says
Is Kenya better or worse now than it was in the 1960s?
Yes, even your shilling is worse off.
Your suits are an urban folklore. Is it true that you once had a suit that had your initials – CN – inscribed in the stripes?
Yes, I used to have that suit; bought it in London, tailored in London.
Why pinstripes?
That’s what I like — not a plain one like yours. (Grins)
I don’t even wear blazers, I did all this for you. Don’t you think I have tried?
Yes, you have tried but next time you come here without a tie, I will show you the door.
How many of those suits do you own?
I don’t know, maybe 20?
What has been your greatest loss in life?
My greatest loss was the death of President Jomo Kenyatta. There was a man I followed and trusted and that’s the man who used to lead the country with a rungu (club) but at least we were united. I could go to North Eastern and come back. You try and do that today, you’ll be back a corpse.
Who is your closest and most trusted friend?
Today? (Pause) I trust myself. It’s difficult to say, apart from my own family, the only man I trust is Richard Leakey. I hope he saves our wildlife with his new appointment (as chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Services). (Pause) Who is the editor of your paper?
What is the most common question people ask you when they meet you?
They don’t ask me anything, they are usually intimidated. But you are a brave young man, asking me all these questions, I commend you for that. Thanks.
When you once went to Ronalo Foods in town for lunch with Raila, a cross-section of your tribesmen felt, at that time, that you were jumping in bed with the enemy, they felt betrayed….
(Long stare) Don’t Kikuyus eat ugali?… (Pause) Don’t they? Why can’t I eat ugali with Raila without it being turned into a cinema?
What kind of a person were you in your prime; standing at the elbow of the bearded Jomo Kenyatta – the first Attorney-General of an independent republic, well-scrubbed in your pinstripe suit?
You know, I miss the discipline of that time. I miss the power I had, power that I could use for the common good. I miss the nation that we had then, a strong nation. There is nothing that went on that we didn’t know about; we had the proverbial long arm of the law.
We were always two steps ahead, we knew what conversation you had in your house the previous night. What happened in Garissa recently would never have happened because we had total control of security.
What has changed over time for you, socially and politically?
What has really changed is this new Constitution that we have. It is good but at the moment, because we don’t understand it, it’s bad and it’s dangerous. It has brought a lot of misunderstanding, ambitions and greed for power.
All these governors and this paraphernalia that go with it; motorcade riders. It’s brought ugliness and pretence. The whole intention of our Constitution was for government to be closer to the people. That hasn’t been the case.
Are you happy with the work of the Judiciary now?
No. (Pause) I think we have a lot of people there who are inexperienced. This is because of appointment of people who are not seasoned.
Source: I miss the power to do good, former AG Njonjo says