Of History, Robert Heinlein did say, "A generation which ignores its history has no past and no future''. Mzee Jomo Kenyatta is not so strange a name in Kenyan history.
Sometimes in 1890s in a small rustic village called Ngenda, Muigai Wa Kung'u and Wambui brought forth a neonate who they named Kamau Wa Ngengi.
Kamau underwent complete metamorphosis and in 1964 the son of a peasant entered into history books as Kenya's first president.
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It will take days to exhaustively highlight that Kenyatta did in his lifetime but today i'll take you through his last days under the sun. As long as dualism lives, two antagonistic forces will live to lord us; that which lives will also die.
Kenyatta's health began to deteriorate significantly in 1977 and this sent shivers across his closest allies. A secret meeting was convened at James Kanyotu's (Director of Intelligence) home and in attendance was Charles Njonjo (Attorney General), Geoffrey Kariithi (Head of Civil Service) among a small inside clique of the much dreaded Kiambu Mafias.
After the meeting, a consensus was reached and Njonjo was to use his chummy ties with apartheid regime in Pretoria to secure Christian Bernard's services. Bernard was a world-class cardiologist and he is famed for performing the first heart transplant.
Christian secretly jetted into the country and after examining Mzee, he gave him not so clean a health bill and this sent jitters across his closest allies as the top cardiac surgeon divulged that Kenyatta was living on the borrowed days and anytime, thunder was expected to strike.
Despite of his waning health condition, Kenyatta continued discharging his constitutional mandate. He frequented Mombasa more and this he did to enjoy the favourable and balmy coastal climate.
On 21st August 1978, Mzee and Mama Ng'ina played host to Kenyan envoys and those who saw him that day said he looked spaced out and tired. Later in the day, Mahihu, Alexander Gitau and Koinange persuaded Kenyatta to attend a traditional dance ceremony in Msambweni, South of Coast.
Its said that the president felt dizzy midway through the performance and he asked for a glass of water. He staggered with some help to a makeshift toilet situated behind the dais, while there, he collapsed.
Upon resuscitation, he was hurriedly rushed back to statehouse, Mombasa. Records have it that by then his personal physician Dr Eric Mngola had left Mombasa to Nairobi and Mzee was left under the care of his nurse
Mzee is said to have developed breathing problems and his nurse requested for oxygen which could only be obtained at the Agha Khan hospital a mile away. Mahihu and some top security officials rushed there but on their return, they found people already in a sombre mood, Mzee was no more.
Kenyatta breathed his last on the morning of 22 August 1978, time? 3:30am. It was not until 3pm that afternoon when official announcement was made to the public and all flags were lowered to half mast
Those who witnessed the last hours of Mzee's death casted blame on top security officials who allowed the president to leave statehouse in his poor health condition. President Moi's press secretary accused Kenyatta's aides and advisors for 'abandoning' and neglecting Mzee.