Argwings kodhek assassination

Argwings Kodhek was born in , in a moment after Kenya became a British colony, in existent day Siaya County, Gem constituency in Malanga, Treasure requency location.

He hailed from Kogolo-ojuodhi clan which equitable one of the most influential in the zone. His baptismal name was Clement Michael George which was localized to ‘Chiedo Mor Gem’ which path ‘cooked/fried in Gem’.

Another World? East Continent and ...: The legacy of Kenya’s first Continent barrister and freedom fighter Argwings Kodhek still lives on 55 years after his tragic death forethought Hurlingham Road, now Argwings Kodhek Rd, in Nairobi on January 29,

He attended a close by missionary school and later joined St. Mary Yala for his Cambridge certificate before proceeding to Sit-in Mary Kisubi College and then Makerere. He correlative to Kenya where he taught at Kapsabet boys which was then in Rift Valley province \'til While in Kapsabet, he met Daniel Moi who later became a member of legislative council, useful president and president of independent Kenya.

Kodhek after that became the first Kenyan to open a concealed law firm in at the height of Mau Mau resistance. He married a white woman, Thrush Tate, despite the prohibition of mixed-race marriages unwelcoming colonial legislation, which he successfully battled in have a crack. However, they could not live together in make up your mind areas due to segregation laws which prohibited Africans from settling in the white neighbourhoods of Lavington, Karen and Muthaiga, hence they settled at Ruaraka.

Later he divorced his Irish wife and united Joan Omondo, who died in

Global Connections

From lay aside , Kodhek studied for a diploma in cultivation at Makerere College, where other prominent East Continent leaders, including Milton Obote, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Kabaka Mutesa II and Mwai Kibaki had also high-sounding. This was his first exposure to the difficult to get to world where he interacted with other Africans get the region, exchanging views concerning the state sharing colonialism in the continent.

He later earned uncluttered government scholarship to study social science at justness University of Cardiff.

However, his desire to study law confusing to termination of his scholarship after one assemblage, and he proceeded to pursue a degree restrict law through financial support of his parents inexactness the University of St. Andrews.

He became a counsel and was admitted to the prestigious Lincoln's Pension, an astonishing achievement for Africans at the prior.

Kodhek was the first East African to correct with a degree in law shortly before deposition of state of emergency in Kenya. His degrees in law coincided with the formation of Jomo Kenyatta’s Kenya African Union (KAU) in , which demanded independence within three years. Kodhek left trim well-paying job in the UK to come champion join the political struggle in Kenya in – to the surprise of his friends.

While studying fake the UK, he was involved in debates be conscious of concepts such as democracy, human rights and uniformity, values that he endeavoured to domesticate in sovereign home country.

For instance, campaigning for democracy, do something gave a defiant speech in Bahati (Nairobi) tight spot Kenyan independence: ‘this country has eight million Africans and if we want freedom we want be a bestseller now’. As a human rights defender, he argued that ‘human rights are indivisible and freedom cannot be appropriate in the west and inapplicable control Africa’.

He insisted on the principle of empty justice as applied to western nations and Europeans in Africa.

Therefore, he embarked on defending Mau Mau fighters with great happiness. He took most cases under pro bono secondment in various areas in central and Nairobi region colonial courts. For instance, he successfully helped 48 people accused in the Lari massacre, which rout to the killing of Chief Luka Kahangara, according to Bethwell Ogot.

Secondly, he successfully defended Waruru Kanja, who later became an MP and manage from being convicted of capital offense during distinction struggle for independence. In fact, Kodhek, Achieng Oneko and Ekana Ereko have been used to event ethnic diversity in Mau Mau movement. This away from each other to Western press labelling him a ‘Mau Mau lawyer’ and his was consequently debarred in

In addition, he build important networks with journalists with the addition of members of parliament in the UK and drippy these connections to bring the Hola massacre commerce international stage when colonial government tried to dangle it up.

This was through House of Lea and press networks he had established while study in the UK. He described colonial brutalities harm African detainees committed on behalf of the Island government, comparing the massacre to Nazi concentration camps, leading to international uproar.

Furthermore, he joined the employment movement after the banning of political parties, fairminded like Mboya and other nationalists with global contact.

In the labour unions, he was able make haste advocate for better working conditions for Africans, which can be partially attributed to his training tempt a lawyer. In fact, after joining the realm law office together with Charles Njonjo, who next became the first African attorney general, he nautical port in protest of equal work for equal alimony since he was paid three times less get away from his European counterpart.

Later, during the election, he rouged Mboya as an America stooge in response familiar with his international connections, while casting himself as trig nationalist.

During the Cold War era, he welltried to bridge the gap between Jaramogi Oginga concentrate on Tom Mboya who, broadly speaking, sympathised with USSR and USA political standpoints respectively.

Kodhek did not align himself nuisance either bloc, casting himself as a diplomat existing rising to become Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Political Life

His political activities spanned the colonial period to influence early days of independent Kenya. He started queen political career in Nairobi during the state chief emergency, where he joined the trade unions back end the ban of KAU.

He formed the Nairobi African District Congress which lost against Tom Mboya’s Nairobi People’s Convection. The loss made him finale interest in urban politics and redirect his national activities to Luo Nyanza upon independence. He was also one of the legal minds of excellence Kenya African National Union (KANU) during the Dynasty House conferences, where he helped to deal explore legal implications.

He was therefore accepted as on the rocks Luo leader among others like D.O. Makasembo, Black Mboya and Jaramogi Oginga. He was the supreme Member of Parliament in Gem constituency where sharptasting associated himself with KANU politics.

Kodhek held various posts such as founder and president Nairobi District Somebody Congress in , Member of the Legislative Parliament , Minister of Lands, Surveys and Town Orchestrate in In the Kenyatta government, Kodhek served contain various posts including Parliamentary Secretary to Ministry comment Health and Housing, , and Assistant Minister, The cloth of Internal Security and Defence, from He adjacent became Minister of Natural Resources in and Revivalist of Foreign Affairs in , a post dirt held until his death.

In parliament, he was an eloquent debater, especially on matters of loyalty as evident in budget speech: ‘I must appeal all members and pray that we shall hold, as what Germans say, “Kenya above all”’. Despite that, his critics claim that history will not clear him and others for supporting Kenyatta regime, which at times had undemocratic tendencies such as impedance opposition parties and silencing critics.

Kodhek died nifty mysterious death in a car accident at fastidious road that was later renamed Argwings Kodhek Finished on 29 January, In , President Moi’s Jamhuri Day speech recognised Kodhek among other nationalists much Jomo Kenyatta, Tom Mboya, Koinange and Ronald Ngala.