NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 3- A tribute by Chief Justice Martha Koome to the late Charles Njonjo has put her on the spot, as top legal minds protested what they say is an attempt to rewrite history.
Koome in a statement hailed the former first post-independence Attorney General as a distinguished lawyer, who in times of power and influence allegedly “was a great encouragement to other members of the Black bar.”
“Hon. Charles Njonjo played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Kenyan Bar, imparting an exceptional lawyering approach which centered on the ethos of practice and dedicated statecraft,” reads a section of CJ Koome’s tribute.
“His legacy will also serve as an inspiring reference for Judges, Judicial Officers, and Advocates on the fundamental considerations of trial preparation to expedite access to justice.”
According to Prof. Mutua, the late Njonjo did none of what Koome had claimed; instead, he said the late Attorney General was “anti-black, vindictive…”
“I can’t, cannot, believe (CJ) Martha Koome has written such blatant lies about the late AG Charles Njonjo,” said Professor Makau Mutua, one of Kenya’s top legal minds, while quoting a section of CJ Koome’s tribute.
“He will go down in history as one of the most malignant, anti-black, vindictive, and anti-democratic officials in Kenya. He was a key architect of a corrupt, fascist state,” the Kenyan-American professor asserted.
Dr. Miguna Miguna, a Kenyan-Canadian lawyer, equally protested over the Chief Justice tribute, dismissing it as a lie.
“Stop lying,” wrote the lawyer in a Tweet to the Chief Justice.
He added, “Mr. Charles Njonjo could not have imparted “lawyering skills” that he never possessed because he neither graduated from law school nor was he a member of any bar in the world. Your statements are disgraceful.”
“The only inspiring thing about Charles Njonjo was his colonial mindset, self-hatred and anti-African actions. Njonjo never believed in having Africans as advocates, magistrates, judges, even secretaries and wives. Your low self-esteem is so profound, it only rivals Njonjo’s.”
Miguna accused the Chief Justice of distorting Kenya’s history, just like “the self-serving politicians.”
According to him, the late Attorney General “presided over the dismemberment of the Constitution, oversaw detentions without trial, torture and destruction of the Judiciary.”
Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi also accused the Chief Justice of being economical with the truth.
“It is very important for the Hon. CJ to be truthful about history…Always!. To state on record that Charles Njonjo was ‘a great encouragement to other members of the Black bar’ is a lie…and a cheap one at that.”
Lawyer Abdullahi was also irked by the President’s statement indicating that Njonjo’s ‘splendid work’ as an Attorney General led to Kenya’s progressive constitution, which was promulgated in 2010.
“President Uhuru should show some respect to history…and just for God’s sake,” he said in a Tweet.
A section of Kenyan top lawyers and often vocal on social media did not Tweet a tribute or say a word, publicly, following the death of the former Attorney General.
His body was cremated a few hours after his death, in line with his wish.
Njonjo was also popularly referred to as “The Duke of Kabeteshire”.
The Daily Nation wrote this about the man said to have been an ultimate power broker; “Charles Mugane Njonjo or ‘The Duke of Kabeteshire’, for those who disliked his British manners was the face of raw power. He manipulated the laws and the Constitution to his advantage and to favour a small cadre of Kenyatta and early Moi era politicos as he crafted the Kenyan state in his own style.”
President Uhuru Kenyatta said, “The passing away of Hon. Njonjo is a big blow not only to his immediate family, friends, and relatives but to all Kenyans and indeed, the entire African continent because of his leading role in the founding of the Kenyan nation at independence.”
He said Kenya owes a debt of gratitude to the late Njonjo, “and his generation of independence era leaders for their selfless contribution to the laying of the solid foundation upon which our country continues to thrive.”
Njonjo was the only surviving member of Kenya’s independence Cabinet.
He was an Attorney General between 1963 and 1979, and also served as a Constitutional Affairs Minister between 1980 and 1983.
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