Before the two politically powerful families enjoyed close ties, former President Daniel Moi once suffered constrained relations with the ruling President Uhuru Kenyatta’s family.
In 1988, it has been documented that the then president jailed Uhuru’s cousin Andrew Kibathi Muigai for six years on allegations that he was conspiring with the then opposition.
In his book I Refuse to Die, the then opposition activist Koigi wa Wamwere claimed that Moi jailed Kibathi on allegations that the two met in Norway while Wamwere was in hiding.
Human Groups at the time such as Amnesty International also remarked that Kibathi, alongside 80 other people including journalists who were arrested, had been coerced into confessing.
“I never met Andre Kibathi Muigai, a nephew of Jomo Kenyatta, but in August 1988, he was jailed for meeting me.
“His real crimes were that he was a Mugikuyu, a nephew of Kenyatta and did not openly express his support for Moi,” wrote Wamwere.
Appearing before Chief Magistrate Joseph Mango during a 20-minute proceeding, Kibathi had pleaded guilty of plotting to overthrow the government.
He was also accused of being a member of Mwakenya, a Marxist underground group that tried to topple Moi’s Government as reported by AP News.
Kibathi, 35 at the time, was the son to James Muigai, the only brother to Uhuru’s father and Kenya’s founding President Jomo Kenyatta.
He is the brother to jubilee nominated senator Beth Mugo and former Assistant Minister of Health Ngengi Muigai.
Wamwere had been a member of Parliament before fleeing to Norway in 1986.
