A Prominent Pan Africanist Met an Assassin’s Bullet at the Tender Age of 39 then,
The late Thomas Joseph Mboya (Photo/ Courtesy)
By Mwakera Mwajefa
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
It’s widely believed his rising *high-profile* and _illustrious_ _political_ _career_ tinged with *intelligence* and *charm* led to his assassination.
Brief as we await the NTV story tomorrow of a renowned trade unionist, politician and one of the most prominent personalities in Kenyan history.
Born Thomas Joseph Mboya on August 15, 1930, he joined active politics in *1957* and successfully contested and won a seat in the *Legislative* *Council*.
Later in *1958*, he founded the _Nairobi_ _People’s_ _Congress_ _Party_ and was instrumental in forming the *Kenya* *African* *National* *Union* (later _baba_ _na_ _mama_ – KANU) that formed _SIRI-KALI_ at independence and became its FIRST secretary-general.
At the tender age of *28* – a GenZee then, TJ Mboya was elected chair of the _All-Africa_ _People’s_ _Conference_ convened by Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana in *1959*.
His memorable quote as chair on *December 8, 1959* reads in part:
“We will never, never sell our freedom for capital or technical aid. We stand for freedom at any cost.”
At the time of his assassination, he was the Minister of Economic Planning and Development…
Let’s wait for the NTV _stori-line_ 2MORROW to join the *dots* and _synthesise_ his yesteryears’ _footprints/blueprints_, then relive them in our current crises instead of paying _lip-service_ to *democracy* we pretend to understand…
