When former Assistant Minister Josiah Mwangi Kariuki (JM) went missing in 1975, the government was quick to downplay his absence.
Former Director of Security Intelligence James Kanyotu once told Nation journalist, Kamau Ngotho that Moi, who was the Vice President, gave false information in Parliament about the whereabouts of JM.
He had been ordered to give the statement by President Jomo Kenyatta, claiming that JM was on a business trip to Zambia, against the advice of the intelligence chief.
“I am aware of the statement by the Vice President. On the day he talked in Parliament, I had been alerted about the statement he was to issue and rang the president to advise against it.
"At that point, it was clear in my mind about foul play and that JM could actually be dead. All the same, the misleading statement was given in Parliament against my counsel,” Kanyotu told the House during an inquiry of JM's death.
10 days after he went missing, a mysterious caller reached out to one of JM's wives, Terry Kariuki, and asked: “Have you checked whether your husband is lying in the morgue?”
The caller was told the family had twice been to the Nairobi City Mortuary. The caller responded, “Just check again!” and disconnected the phone.
She gathered her co-wives and together they went to the morgue and confirmed that indeed, JM was dead.
From the mortuary, the three widows headed to Parliament Buildings and straight to the lounge where they screamed: “They have killed our husband JM!” sending the National Assembly into chaos.
When Moi sought to cool tempers, his voice was drowned with shouts of: “Shut up liar! You’re a government of murderers!”
Sensing danger, the VP and Cabinet ministers in the House hurriedly walked out, removed flags from their official vehicles and sped home. To date, JM's killers have never been unearthed.
