The Fateful Day

West Mugirango MP George Justus Morara 

As he sipped his drink one late evening in Lusaka, Zambia, early September 1970, West Mugirango MP George Justus Morara bumped into Nahashon Isaac Njenga Njoroge – the man who assassinated Constitutional Affairs Minister, Tom Mboya, on July 5, 1969.

An astonished Morara, who was among members of the Social Welfare and Employment parliamentary committee on official duty, confronted Njenga who, in panic, bolted out of the club. The government had announced the previous year that Njenga had been sentenced to death and hanged for shooting dead the powerful Cabinet minister along Nairobi’s Government Road (present-day Moi Avenue).

Upon arrival at Nairobi’s Embakasi Airport, Morara and a few members of the House team, chaired by Kandara MP George Mwicigi, headed to Parliament buildings for a scheduled press conference.

Without mincing words, Morara spilled the beans on the group’s encounter with Njenga in Lusaka, and gave the Government a 48-hour ultimatum to produce the Bulgarian-trained Njenga.

Forty-eight hours later, the MP was dead — killed in a suspicious road accident along the Kakamega-Kisumu highway. He was only 34 years old and was seen as one of the most promising politicians — even mentioned as a possible future president.

On the day he met his death, Morara is said to have been in the company of parliamentary colleagues Mark Bosire (Kitutu Masaba) and Nyarangi Moturi (North Mugirango). The trio reportedly left Nairobi for upcountry in Morara’s car, with his colleagues alighting (after a brief argument) in Nakuru.

Morara proceeded alone to Kakamega for official duty, including a meeting with his friend, Kakamega District Commissioner Ezekiel Nyarangi.

According to family sources, the DC tried to dissuade him from proceeding to Kisii that night where his wife and family were, but he insisted. He never made it. That evening he died near Chavakali market. Police reports indicate the MP, who was driving a Peugeot 404, registration number KKZ 058, was involved in a head-on collision with a Police Land Rover, GK 1357, driven by Constable Fredrick Kugo.

The MP’s abrupt death was particularly devastating to his young family. His wife, Mary, was only about 24 years old, while the children Sandy, Duke and Innocent were only 2 years, 1 year and 5 months respectively.