Kenyan Senator GG Kariuki, representing Laikipia County, was pronounced dead on Friday 30 June 2017. He was 79 years old
Kariuki died in a Nairobi city hospital where he was being treated. According to his family, Kariukji was hospitalized after suffering health complications. The deceased, who was a member of the National Alliance Party, was the senior Kenyan Senator.
Senate Deputy Chairman Kembi Gitura offered condolences to his family on behalf of the Senate.
Remembering the veteran politician, let’s take a look at some facts about his life and famous political career.
GG Kariuki Bio and Education
He was born Godfrey Gitahi Kariuki on December 12, 1938 in then-colonized Kenya. He is survived by wife Nyina wa Mwangi and children Manthenge, Waigwa, Mwangi and Mubia.
In 1985 he received a membership certificate from the Institute of Administrative Accountant. GG holds a Masters in International Studies.
In 2015, at the age of 75, GG matriculated at the University of Nairobi, earning his Doctorate in International Relations in 2016. When he earned his PhD in 2016, GG said he did it to show youngsters that age shouldn’t be a limitation.
“It can be done… I’ll show you that anything is possible, anytime,” the senator said.
GG Kariuki Political career
Kariuku was involved in the development of Kenya’s politics before and after the nation’s independence.
In his autobiography, The Illusion of Power: Reflections on Fifty Years in Kenyan Politics (2001), Kariuki revealed that his involvement in politics began as early as 1952, when he was only 14 years old.
As a teenager, Kariuki became a member of the Revolutionary Independence Movement (Mau-Mau).
As a delegate for the Central Rift Labor Party, Kariuki helped found the Kenya Africa National Union in 1960 and was appointed leader of the Laikipia branch.
KANU was key in the movement to bring Kenya her independence in 1963. With KANU as the sole political party governing the nation, Kariuki was elected to the National Assembly. He was re-elected in 1969. He was MP for Laikipia West until 1983.
Kariuki rose to fame in the late 1960s for helping the landless settle in previously white-owned areas of Laikipia.
As a result, he was appointed Deputy Minister for Land, Settlements and Planning by the Kenyatta administration in 1970. He served in that position until 1979, when he was reappointed Minister of State for Internal Security and National Administration.
From 1982 to 1983 Kariuki again served as Minister of Land and Settlement under the administration led by Daniel Arap Moi.
Kariuku was removed from active politics in 1983 after being expelled from KANU. From then on he became a political outsider.
In 2003 he was re-elected MP for Laikipia West and served for a term until 2007.
He entered the Kenya Senate in 2013, a position he held until his death in June 2017.
FUN FACTS AND TRIVIA
Kariuki once attributed his long life to being an active martial artist.
In 2015, his surprise speech at the funeral of former Laikipia County Assembly Majority Leader Ephraim Mwangi Kamakia made headlines.
During this period, Kariuku came under fire for retaining a political seat at a very old age. Many had criticized his physical appearance when he began limping.
At the funeral he advised people on how to live long as he said;
“Najua mnashindwa kwa nini huyu mzee anatembea kama ako na ile kitu tunaita kaswende.”
TRANSLATION: “I know you are wondering why this old man is walking like a man suffering from syphilis (referring to his limp) ….. This is the result of my love for the martial arts, a sport that has enabled me made it possible to live so long. “
The news was felt to be inappropriate for a funeral and rather insulting to the deceased, who died of a heart attack after collapsing at Laikipia Stadium while delivering a speech on Jamhuri Day.
Kariuku added;
“It’s my life and when I stop doing martial arts I look forward to my funeral.”
He added a joke; “Even if I limp and the leaders behind me try to attack, you will be shocked at what will happen to them.”
In April 2017, months before his death, about ten candidates for the Senate seat in Laikipia had vowed to unseat him and prevent his re-election.
GG Kariuki undoubtedly left his mark on the sands of time and his legacy would surely live on. REST IN PEACE