Son of colonial chief who loved life’s luxuries
Jeremiah Kiplang’at
Charles Njonjo’s love for fine things in life was a well-spoken adventure he faithfully engaged in and publicly spoke about.
Throughout his public life, Njonjo was easily recognised by his signature pinstriped three-piece suits that were often worn with a fresh flower on the lapel.
This was presented with imported, stylish and dotted shirts he faithfully wore together with attractive watches.
Born in 1920 in Kabete, Kiambu, Njonjo once said he had one of the suits inscribed with his initials “CN” by his tailor in London.
He would also reveal he had 20 pairs of the imported garments.
For his English mannerisms, Njonjo won himself the moniker, Duke of Kabeteshire, a title reserved for the United Kingdom’s royal family’s offspring.
For him, it was a name to sum up his attempt to extend the love for English lifestyle to an African country still reeling from years of colonisation by the British.
He was also referred as “Sir Charles Njonjo”, although he was neither British nor was he knighted.
Being a son of a colonial paramount Chief Josiah Njonjo, he could be forgiven for his penchant for good things as he was introduced to life in the fast lane in the early years of his life.
It is on record that as a pupil, young Njonjo rode to the local Gwa Gateru Primary School in Lower Kabete on a horse accompanied by a servant.
When he later joined Alliance High School, Njonjo would find the going tough. It was here that the son of the African chief would taste ugali for the first time.
It was also at Alliance where he was forced to walk barefoot as per the school rules.
And like other students, he had no choice but make do with cold showers, a far cry from the kind of life he was used to at home.
After Alliance, he proceeded to King’s College, Budo, Uganda for a two-year pre-university course in 1939 where he rubbed shoulders with the children of the high and mighty, including Fredrick Mutesa, who would later become the Kabaka of Buganda.
From Uganda, he headed to South Africa for further studies before moving to the United Kingdom where he joined Exeter University for a postgraduate course in Public Administration leaving 1947.
He also attended the London School of Economics and thereafter studied law and was called to the Bar to begin practising law.
In the UK, he said he had to do manual work to afford fees and sustain his lifestyle abroad.
Married at 52
For years, Njonjo was a senior bachelor attracting the ire of none other than President Jomo Kenyatta whom he served as the Attorney General. Kenyatta was said to have expressed concern about being advised by an unmarried man.
“I was married to my work…I loved my work as Attorney General of Kenya, worked odd hours that would have put a spouse off. For a long time I did not entertain the idea of marriage.
Outside the office, I had hobbies that I enjoyed thoroughly and I thought this was enough for me,” Njonjo was quoted as saying by the Moi Cabinets, a book published by the Kenya Yearbook.
When he finally decided to marry at the age of 52, he picked Margaret Bryson, a British who he married in a colourful wedding in 1972. She was a choir member at the ACK All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi.
Together they had three children.
As the country’s first black AG, he wielded power and influence and was said to often ride in the official limousines of presidents Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi owing to his closeness to them.
Being the first post-independence AG in 1963, he also had a big say in government appointments and was said to have suggested Moi’s name to be Kenyatta’s Vice-President to replace Joseph Murumbi who resigned in December 1966.
In interviews later in life, Njonjo reminisced about early days of independence and often accused current leaders of being too casual and indisciplined.
“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,” he said during an interview with a local publication.
The secret to his long life was swimming daily, a habit he developed early in life and carried it to his old age. He said he did 12 laps in the pool before but that had reduced to seven as age caught up with him. He also said he rode a bicycle for 10 minutes daily and did rounds on the treadmill.
He also ate vegetables but avoided nyama choma. And he liked a bottle of beer.
He read newspapers daily to keep abreast of the happenings locally and internationally but detested the sad news that he often encountered in between the pages.
