This archive report was first published on 9 July 2019.
On July 9, 2019, a tribute to Jeremiah Kiereini was read by his friend, former Attorney General Charles Njonjo. The emotional tribute revealed some of the state secrets that Njonjo had kept during his years in government.
According to Njonjo, Kiereini had risked his life and career to meet him after former President Daniel arap Moi announced a judicial inquiry against Njonjo. Kiereini was driven by his wife, Margaret, in the middle of the night, and had to be covered by a blanket to avoid being traced by state security.
“I remember the night we heard on the radio that a judicial inquiry had been set up to investigate me. I needed to see you. You were never one to take unnecessary risks but you agreed to meet me at a friend’s house. You assumed I would be followed so I had to come clutching under the seat of a car, hidden under a blanket. Thank you for taking that risk,” Njonjo said in the tribute read by his daughter Mary.
Njonjo's tribute also answered a challenge that had been thrown at Kenya’s first Attorney General – writing a memoir about his time in government when his word was law. Njonjo stated, “You wrote a book about your time in government, I never will. But I will always remember you as the finest Cabinet Secretary,”
Jeremiah Kiereini died on May 14 and was cremated two days later. The family decided to hold a memorial to celebrate his life on what would be his 90th birthday.
