Celebrating New Victories - Vice President

Celebrating New Victories - Vice President

“After a few minutes, my great friend and State House Comptroller, Matere Keriri, requested me to accompany him to the President’s office.

The President greeted me in his usual genial manner and we sat down. He spoke of his late deputy, adding that since we were through with the mourning, government business had to continue. Without further ado, he said that he had decided I should replace his late deputy to continue with the good work Kijana Wamalwa had been doing. This was a big Surprise for me! I thanked him and he rose from his seat and we hugged each other. I was going to be the ninth VP of the Republic of Kenya!It was September 25 September, 2003.

A bell suddenly rung in my mind. Kijana Wamalwa had been a popular and powerful VP but without a Ministerial portfolio. .......I had enjoyed working at the Ministry of Home Affairs particularly the Prisons department and so I asked the President if I could keep the ministry and he readily agreed and I thanked him again.

The President was yet to make a formal announcement about our appointments, so we were asked not to tell anyone about it but to return to State House at 2.30pm. Back in the office, I kept the news to myself not even my Secretary knew that I was the Vice - President.

I suspended all my engagements of the day.

I was taken aback when I found Musikari Kombo already at State House with his wife and a few relatives in tow. I had understood that I was to tell nobody till the President’s announcement so I made my appearance alone! After the swearing in, The President had a few words of advice and bade us farewell. I was dying to call my wife with the news.Before stepping out of State House I got a chance to call her. She had already heard the news and was very agitated as there were so many security officers in our compound. She wanted to know when I would be home.I told her I would see her later and I went out of State House ready for my new office in town.

If the day was dramatic so far, what I found at the entrance of State Houseas I got out suprised me even more. Everything seemed to be happening at at breakneck speed. My modest Pajero car had disappeared. In its place a convoy of new, big Mercedez cars and a Land Rover with new bodyguards and an aide.