Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi, on Tuesday, September 24, disclosed an instance in which he saved the former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga's life.
Speaking at the University of Nairobi as his Kisumu counterpart Professor Anyang' Nyong'o launched his new book, Presidential or Parliamentary Democracy in Kenya, Kiraitu took the audience down the memory lane.
The year was 1982 and Raila had been detained at Shimo la Tewa Prison, Mombasa, by the then President Daniel arap Moi for his alleged role in the attempted coup.
The deputy officer in charge of the prison at the time was Julius Sang - one of the greatest 400m athletes Kenya had ever produced.
Kiraitu was a young and vibrant lawyer at the time, and he had made the trip down to the coastal town to meet his new client, Raila.
However, he was shocked when he found the former Prime Minister hanging on to his life. His right palm had turned dark, his arm had pimples and boils as well, not to mention his general haggard look.
Odinga was on a seven-day hunger protest against the mistreatment he and his other inmates such as former Alego-Usonga MP Otieno Mak'Onyango had been subjected to while in lock up.
Kiraitu immediately knew that if he didn't find a way to remedy the stand-off, Raila was as good as dead, which is why he came up with an idea to trick the opposition politician into eating.
“If you continue doing this (hunger strike), you are soon going to die, my friend, don’t you think Moi will be very happy to see you dead?" he told the ailing Raila.
There mere thought of a satisfied Moi did the trick as Raila immediately ordered for a plate of rice and eggs, effectively ending his strike and averting his impending death.
