November 26, 2024

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Kibaki Betrayed this Ex-MP, he Vowed to Hate Him Until the End

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If you are asked to guess people harbouring bitterness with former President Mwai Kibaki for betraying them, you would probably pick his once sworn political enemy Raila Odinga.

Surprisingly it is not Raila who tops in that list. It is Kibaki’s once very close friend who now openly expresses his hatred towards the third President.

Former Nyeri Town MP Wanyiri Kihoro and Kibaki were buddies but today Kihoro would not wish to meet the retired President and has vowed never to forgive him.

Kibaki betrayed the former MP despite the latter and his late wife sacrificing a lot to have Kibaki win the hotly contested Presidential Elections in 2002.

Kihoro and his late wife Dr Wanjiru Kihoro gave Kibaki Sh16 million for campaigns in 2002 but for four years Wanjiru was hospitalised while in coma after a plane accident, Kibaki never visited her nor helped the Kihoro’s family.

Mwai Kibaki.

“Even today I have not changed my view on Kibaki if that is what friendship is about” Kihoro said in TV interview.

So, where this enmity started? What drove wedge between these two good friends?

In January 2003 Wanjiru accompanied Ministers and MPs to former Vice President Moody Awori’s homecoming event but during take-off from Busia airstrip their plane crashed, killing a Minister, two pilots and seriously injuring others. Wanjiru went into a coma until she died in October 2006.

After the tragedy Kibaki cut links with Kihoro. He left the old friend in a crisis, crying for help but when Wanjiru died Kibaki wanted to attend the funeral. Kihoro told him not to dare step into his home compound.

Wanyiri Kihoro

“My wife was in coma for four years. She was in Nairobi Hospital for two years and later in Kenyatta National Hospital for two years but Kibaki who is neighbour of Nairobi Hospital never found time to visit her” Kihoro lamented.

He revealed; “When my wife died Kibaki wanted to attend the funeral. I told him to keep off. If he could not visit her when she was dying slowly in hospital what was the point of visiting her when she was dead?”

Busia plane crash in 2003.

On burial day an adamant Kibaki went up to Nyeri Town but several calls to convince Kihoro to allow President attend failed. Kibaki was driven back to Nairobi a humiliated man.