A young journalist who was working with The East African Standard, now known as The Standard, splashed beer on Kenya’s first Finance Minister James Gichuru and lived to regret it.
Gichuru, who was one of the members of President Jomo Kenyatta’s inaugural cabinet, was a tippler who frequented drinking joints in downtown Nairobi.
At times, he would go to Munyu’s Bar off Luthuli Avenue, sometimes he preferred Karai Bar on Campos Ribiero Road.
Muhia Gitau, who had just started working at The Standard, also loved his bottle and would often bump into Gichuru during his drinking sprees.
On one such occasion, he ran into the Finance Minister at Pan African Hotel, now known as Sarova Panafric.
A heated argument ensued between them. The minister spewed some unprintable words at the journalist and drove him to anger so much so that he lifted his glass and splashed his beer on Gichuru’s face.
Although the minister didn’t act immediately, his bodyguards harassed Gitau before releasing him.
But that’s not all. Gitau was dismissed by his employer after the then Finance Permanent Secretary John Michuki told his bosses that The Standard would be banned if he was not sacked immediately.
They also ensured that he was not employed anywhere else. He had to bid farewell to his career at a young age.
He returned to the village where he earned a living by doing odd jobs and farming.
