56 years ago, on Saturday, June 1, 1963, Kenya became the last East African state to be granted internal self-rule by Britain, kickstarting a sinister plot by the colonial master to ensure Jaramogi Oginga Odinga never experienced real power.
The moment it became clear that Mr Odinga's Kenya African National Union (KANU) party would hold a majority in the House of Representatives after clinching 64 seats compared to 32 by the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU), the British were in a state of panic.
Word had gone around claiming Jomo Kenyatta had made assurances that Mr Odinga would be named as Minister of Home Affairs, thereby putting him directly in charge of the country's security forces.
The colonial powers simply could not fathom a government in which Odinga had so much control as they felt his communist ideals would translate into hostilities towards Britain.
Some senior European officers in the Kenya Police were running scared at the prospect of Odinga commanding them as they suspected he'd hasten the steps towards Africanisation of the security forces, with some threatening to abandon their duties if Mr Odinga was given control.
“The police were most unhappy at the prospect of working under him in the Home Ministry, while several KADU leaders have said privately that his appointment opens the way to the communists," a telegram to the British Secretary of State marked secret and personal revealed.
Documents revealed by the Daily Nation claimed that Mr Kenyatta continued to establish his cabinet behind closed doors due to the immense pressure to drop Odinga.
James Gichuru allegedly got a hold of a draft of the proposed cabinet ministers and immediately set off to governor Macdonald's house to inform on the latest picks.
"The new government will be reassuring to the Europeans in Kenya and investors abroad except for the inclusion of Jaramogi," Mr Gichuru disclosed.
It was a 'do or die' moment for the colonialists following confirmation that Mzee Kenyatta was set to name Mr Odinga as Minister for Home Affairs with powers over the regular police, the special branch and immigration.
Governor Macdonald invoked a section of the constitution that assigned him the powers to transfer responsibilities, a power he used to transfer the police from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Office of the Prime Minister (Mzee Kenyatta).
“In pursuance with the provisions of section 68 of the constitution of Kenya, I assign to the Prime Minister the responsibility for matters relating to the police force subject to the provision of section VIII of the constitution,” revealed an excerpt of the 1963 statement.
Thus on the first ever Madaraka Day celebrations, Odinga was named as the minister of Home Affairs only to realize that all his powers had been capped.
