Public personalities who share their school experiences often cast themselves as model students' high achievers, obedient and all - but this is not the case with National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.
In a recent interview, Muturi admitted to being a cheeky student in high school, where his friends and him were sent home several times for indiscipline.
He noted that with each suspension they would hide somewhere or if they were told to bring their parents, they used to take local villagers as their parents.
Muturi added that his father was an Administrative Police while his mother was a local businesswoman.
“We used to do many things like playing cards for money and when we were caught, we used to be sent away but for us we never went to our homes. We used to go somewhere and hide till the suspension period ends and if we were required to bring our parents we used to pick and pay locals who would act as our parents” Muturi narrated.
He added that at one time when he returned to school the father, to his surprise, he was told by the principal that he had been sent home many times.
“One time as I was returning to school that’s when my father was asked by the principal if he was aware I had been sent away from school several times. My father was surprised as he had was not aware.” Muturi added.
Muturi stated that he told the father not to focus on the matter and promised not to be sent away again.
The speaker also recalled a time while he was admitted to a different school for Form Five and Six - but refused admission as it was not a mixed school.
“When going to form five I was supposed to go to a school known as Chesamis in Bungoma, it was a boy's school, and I was coming from a mixed school. I refused to learn in the school saying I would not learn in an all-boys school, so I was taken back to my former school” he stated.
“In our area mangoes are all-over, so when they ripen us being mischievous young boys, we used to go up the trees and shake the mangoes off, then we could eat the mangoes with our shirts off. The reason we ate with our shirts was that when we got home, we wouldn't be disciplined for having stained clothes.” he narrated
The speaker also recalled being in trouble with the Kanu government after he campaigned for an Opposition candidate in his home constituency while working as a magistrate.
He recalled that in 1992, Democratic Party (DP) leader Joseph Munyao was denied a chance to register as voter, but Muturi gave orders as a magistrate that Munyao should be allowed to register.
“When the current DP party leader Joseph Munyao wanted to vie for an elective position in 1992, he had been barred from registering as a voter. He came to my court then I issued orders directing he be registered.” Muturi noted.
He also noted that as he campaigned for his late cousin who was running against a KANU candidate, he was summoned to the judiciary headquarters.
“Back in 1992, while campaigning for my cousin I was not aware of the special branch unit. Apparently, they had already taken photos of my car while campaigning. Later in 1993 I was summoned to the Judiciary headquarters where I was shown the images and it was resolved that I should be transferred from Machakos to Nairobi for closer supervision” he recalled.
He noted that he defended himself by telling them that where he was campaigning was a different location from where he was working so his campaigning would not interfere with the work he was doing in Machakos.
The speaker who is also aspiring to be the president come the 2022 General Elections highlighted that his political role model has been the former President Mwai Kibaki.
"I love Mwai Kibaki's politics as his politics is based on logic, reason and stability so his been my role model as a Kenyan politician" Muturi noted.
