A man who saved opposition leader Raila Amollo Odinga from 1991 assassination will finally be meeting the former premier in Nairobi.
Robert Njura who was only 19 years old at the time he saved Odinga is said to have helped cross Odinga through a Budalangi boat to Uganda. Odinga was putting on a Legio Maria outfit to escape being noticed by authorities baying for his blood.
Taking to his social media pages, Odinga said he would be glad to meet the Njura who was by then in form thee at Makunda Secondary School in Budalangi, Busia County.
Odinga recounted how the young Njura steered him in a rickety boat across Lake Victoria to Uganda in his efforts to flee Moi’s regime which was after him. Moi had learnt that stubborn Odinga did not fear jail and the only way out was to apply elimination method.
Through Uganda, the former premier fled to Norway where he spend a few years before he decided to return back home after things had settled down.
“The journey to a new Kenya has been rough. I am looking forward to meeting Robert Njura shortly, a then 19-year old form three student at Makunda Secondary School in Budalangi who steered me in a rickety boat across Lake Victoria to Uganda as I fled to exile in Norway in 1991,” stated the former premier.
The journey to a new Kenya has been rough. I am looking forward to meeting Robert Njura shortly, a then 19-year old form three student at Makunda Secondary school in Budalangi who steered me in a rickety boat across Lake Victoria to Uganda as I fled to exile in Norway in 1991. pic.twitter.com/wJtKQSAU7U
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) August 27, 2020
On his part, Njura was quoted by the Daily Nation saying he helped Odinga escape death but without any knowledge of what was going on. He was doing it innocently and that he was paid sh 2000 which was good amount by then.
According to Njura, several young men had refused to help Odinga escape but he innocently risked to take the job offer since what he wanted was money to pay for his education.
“I was looking for school fees. This did not look like a normal assignment because instead of just setting off straight for our destination we headed towards the mainland and eventually docked at a lonely part of the island,” The Daily Nation quoted Njura.
Interestingly, Njura did not realize that he was Mr. Odinga he was ferrying until he was informed of the developments but warned never to leak the information out as this would cost his won life.
He then managed to relocate to Nairobi in 1993 when he shortly met Odinga for the second time through then Makadara MP John Mutere.
“I did not talk much. After introductions, Raila took over and narrated the whole story to his colleagues. He gave me his phone number which I still have and told me to call him. He calls me ‘Msamia,” he revealed.
Odinga has had his fair share of tribulations in his quest for a democratic country as he, in another instance, had to serve 8 years behind bars during the Moi regime. He was also tortured in the famous Nyayo Chambers.
Mr. Odinga has had a stab at the presidency four times without success.
