Charles Njonjo: Kenyas first Attorney General turns 100

Kenya’s first post-independence Attorney General Charles Njonjo turns 100 today.

He is seen as an enigma and often sparks conversations online and offline.

Below are some interesting facts about the Duke of Kabeteshire:

1.He is the only living member of Kenya’s first-ever 15-member Cabinet and was also Kenya’s first Attorney General.

2. Sir Charles is touted as one of the wealthiest men in Kenya

3. The Duke of Kabeteshire, also known as Sir Charles, only wears 3-piece pinstripe suits with a rosebud lapel pin.

4. His suits are handmade from London before they are sent to him: the stripes read CN.

5. To date, he still swims in order to keep fit but has since dropped five laps from the 12 that he used to do in the pool. In addition, he spends 10 minutes on the treadmill and 10 on his bike.

6. He does not eat nyama choma, preferring to instead, feat on vegetables and fruits which he says has been his trick for a long life.

7. He at one time served as Kenya’s Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions when he succeeded A.M.F. Webb.

8. He served as Kikuyu MP after his election in 1980 and later as the Cabinet Minister for home and constitutional affairs under President Moi’s government.

9. He was forced to resign from the cabinet over the accusations of participating in the infamous 1982 coup; he denied the allegations and was pardoned halfway through the inquiry.

10. He married his wife, Margaret Bryson in 1972 shortly after celebrating his 50th birthday. In an interview with Bikozulu, Njonjo said he took too long because he had not yet found the “right girl to live with’.

11. There are claims that the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta had asked Njonjo to marry as he was not comfortable with an Attorney General who was still a bachelor.

12. He has three children with his wife who are all enjoying success in various fields. One is a barrister, the other a scientist and the last born is a veterinary doctor.