Today was president moi 90th birthday.Whom did he use to succeed? i will start today with another crown the late kariuki chotara. KARIUKI CHOTARA. He was born Kariuki wathanga.He acquired his name chotara due to his light complexity..Kariuki chotara was from kiru location near kiriaini town., you either loved or hated him. From a peasant farmer and jailbird, he went on to dine with the most powerful individuals in the country. In some circles, Chotara was a hero who created jobs for hundreds of youths, fed the poor, clothed and settled street families. In fact, one of the busiest streets in Naivasha town is named after the former powerful politician. But to others, he was a figure of hate. On the day he died, beer in Naivasha town where he migrated flowed freely, as traders and those who disliked him celebrated. During his hey days, he created one of the most dreaded Kanu youth groups. A joke is told that those who appeared in the group as wanted presented themselves to police rather than find themselves in the hands of the dreaded Kanu youth wingers. So powerful were the youths that they conducted swoops in the town and punished the offenders. But it is his relationship with other politicians and former President Moi that made him leave a mark in the country history. For instance, when Kihika Kimani and others started Change the Constitution Movement aimed at barring Moi from power in the event of the then President death, Chotara identified with the former Head of State. He later rose to become the undisputed Kanu kingpin in Nakuru, championing the party cause and being heard across the entire country.: And when Kihika Kimani fled to Tanzania in 1979, Chotara replaced him as Kanu boss and went ahead to create real and imaginary enemies whom he fought with alacrity and gusto. He constantly locked horns with another Kanu pillar, the late Kihonge, then Nakuru County Council Chairman (in late 1980s). In one incident, Chotara arrived in his Naivasha backyard to find Kihonge had organised a visit to State House, along with other Kanu officials and were being feted by Moi. Not one to be outdone, he immediately drove there, where he launched into a verbal attack on his foes, telling the former President: Hapana sikiriza mambo ya hawa. Hawa marirara makinywa muma na hapa wanaongea! (Do not listen to these people. They spent the night taking an oath and here they are to fool you!). In another incident, Chotara was addressing a public rally and dropped the microphone but when he bent to pick it, his gun fell, too, along with several bullets from its shoulder holster. As the crowd surged forward to catch a glimpse of the pistol, Chotara was to retort as he picked his firearm: Munanjua mimi ni chap chuta na hata DO natoka Ebakathi hawethi gushooti kama mimi! (I am a sharp shooter and even a DO straight from training in Embakasi cannot outdo me). The most famous gaffe was the incident at the University of Nairobi, where student riots were the order of the day, at times over such issues as meals and their demands were always about dialogue which was lacking. Chotara, completely oblivious about what dialogue really meant, was to tell the Government that kama ni hiyo dialogue wanataka, si wapewe tu, kwani wananyimwa kwa nini? (If they want dialogue, let them have it. Why are they being denied?) And when the riots persisted, Chotara came to learn that they were being influenced by a man he heard was called Karl Marx. Sasa huyo Karo Maxi kama ni yeye anasubua watoto na kufudicha hawa mabo baya, si achikwe and kufugiwa dani? He has a rich history full of turn and events that saw him move from a trained tailor to one of the most powerful politicians in Rift Valley. Perhaps it is early encounter with the ruthless colonial administration that shaped his political thinkingAfter moving to Nairobi in 1948, he joined the Kikuyu Central Association before linking up with Mau Mau in 1953. It is said that he served diligently under Commander Mbaria Kaniu before he moved to Nairobi where he was arrested seven times but escaped. In Nairobi, he lived with a Mr Kariuki Mambo and the two had similar names, which confused many. He committed murder and was detained in lodwar.He had an inborn hate on Kenyatta senior. Good relationship with Kenyatta and ngei emanated from ngei protecting Kenyatta from Chotara as once he almost knocked Kenyatta teeth. Vintage kenyatta at lodwar endured several jabs from chotara.His mission courtesy of colonialists was to eliminate vintage kenyatta.After being tossed from one prison to another across the country, Chotara was later set free in 1964 by Kenyatta. Upon his release, Chotara became a wheat farmer in Naivasha before joining Kanu politics in 1975. His political star started shining at this time when he was elected Kanu chairman, Naivasha.TOMORROW-MULU MUTISYA.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 06:14:07 +0000
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