In a long narration on his social media pages on Tuesday, February 11, Mutua recalled an invitation to the house on the hill in his first year at Kenyatta University to speak on the behalf of students from the Ukambani region.
Mutua intimated that his name had been fronted by Mulu Mutisya, then an influential man, but unknown to him, some powerful individuals had gone behind his back and fronted another name as the addressee at the gathering.
“On getting to State House on the material day, I was shocked to find that the program had changed and that another student, John Mutua Kahuku, who would later become Mwala MP and later Minister for Water, had been picked to speak on our behalf,” he recounted.
Mutua narrated that while both he and those who had fronted his name were angered, it was too late for anything to change since State House protocol was strict.
“I calmly gave in to the changes. Peter Maundu, an Assistant Minister for Agriculture and a powerful political figure in Ukambani came into the room to tell us that Mzee was about to come in and that he expected us to be organised and orderly and stick to the new program. I obliged,” he recounted.
When Moi came into the room, however, Mutua could not lose the opportunity to address the gathering as he had planned despite warnings from the senior officials.
Moi called out for the representatives of the students’ body to rise and address the summit, and Mutua together with Mutua stood up at the same time.
“Your Excellency Sir, before the chairman speaks could we please rise for a word of prayer?” he posed, and everyone rose in response.
Mutua then narrated than in his prayer, he infused the speech that he had worked on for two weeks, after which the chair was invited to address the gathering as earlier agreed.
Mutua intimated that by then, the damage had already been done as he had stolen the thunder from the incoming speaker and won the heart of Moi and other leaders at the gathering.
“When the time came for Moi to give the “token of appreciation” it’s me who was handed the briefcase with clear instructions that I manage the execution of the assignments we were given as student leaders in coordinating the other students to champion peace and support President Moi and Kanu in the 1992 general elections,” Mutua recounted.
He stated that until the end of Moi’s term, they were close friends and he visited State House frequently.
SOURCE:kenyagist.com
