On 23rd August 2003, Kenyans woke up with very sad news. It was the day, former Vice President Wamalwa Kijana died while receiving treatment in London.
Details about his death and the appointment of Moody Awori as his successor were revealed last year. In his Book Riding on a Tiger, uncle Moody revealed how he defied all odds to become Kenya’s Vice President despite opposition from the Luhya community.
Below is an excerpt from the book
“One day, I met John Michuki at a function in the city. By that time, he was very close to the President. The conversation naturally turned to the vacant position of VP.
Cryptically, he said to me that the office of VP should be held by an old and mature man who would not stress the President or destabilise the government because of high ambition.
He did not elaborate. He did not give me any hint about what was cooking. Two days later, I was going about my business at my office at Jogoo House when a call came from State House.
The President wanted to see me immediately. When I reached State House, Musikari Kombo was at the waiting room, and we engaged in small talk. After a few minutes, my great friend and State House Controller, Matere Keriri, requested me to accompany him to the President’s office.
The President greeted me in his usual genial manner and we sat down. He spoke about his late deputy, adding that since we were through with the mourning, government business had to continue.
Without further ado, he said that he had decided I should replace his late deputy to continue with the good work Kijana Wamalwa had been doing. This was a big surprise for me! I thanked him and he rose from his seat and we hugged each other.
I was going to become the ninth Vice President of the Republic of Kenya! It was 25 September, 2003. A bell suddenly rang in my mind. Kijana Wamalwa had been a popular and powerful Vice President but without a ministerial portfolio.
Did this mean I would be without a ministerial position? In the previous eight months, I had thoroughly enjoyed working with all the departments under the Ministry of Home Affairs, particularly the Prisons Department.
I asked the President if I could keep my ministerial portfolio. He readily agreed. I thanked him again and walked into Matere Keriri’s office.
He congratulated me and something compelled me to inform him that although the late Kijana Wamalwa had no portfolio, the President said I would continue serving as the Minister for Home Affairs. He seemed surprised.
Later, there was a rumour that the position of Minister for Home Affairs was going to be given to someone else. Kombo entered the President’s office after I left and he was offered a ministerial position.
The President was yet to make a formal announcement about our appointments, so we were asked not to tell anyone about it but to return to State House at 2.30 pm the same day.
Back in the office, I kept the news to myself. Not even my secretary knew that I was the Vice President. But such a high-level appointment induces exuberance even in the least emotional people and I could not concentrate on my work!
I felt a desperate need to tell someone about it. So I suspended all official business for the day and went home. I just lounged there until after lunch and did not tell even my wife. I kept my word to the last moment!”