Down memory lane
By James Macharia
Reverend Timothy Murera Njoya,popularly known as Timothy Njoya.His name is no any strange in public gallery.
Ranging from a human rights activist to a vocal critic of president Moi’s reign,are some of the compaigns that saw the name of the retired Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) cleric earn a place in the the public eye.
Having been born on 7 April,1941 in Nyeri District(Nyeri county),80 years down the line,we trail his milestones to his compaigns for political transition.
Generally,Timothy Njoya was embroled in a tussle with the Kenya’s 2nd president Daniel Moi when he opted to reproach his government and his way of ruling.
Moi never tolerated anything short of strict adherence to his priciples and persecuted any person who won’t subscribe to his agenda.He advocated for one all-powerful party,something that Njoya protested at the peak of mountain.
He spared no one who stepped on his foot.Not even Timothy Njoya,a holder of Master’s and PhD degrees in Theology from Princeton University.
When October of 1986 clicks in Njoya’s mind,he remembers the trail of his disagreements with the no non-sense President.This was the onset of Njoya’s fight towards pruralism in political parties.Timothy Njoya was a die-hard fighter for multipartism.
From then onwards,Njoya entered into Moi’s list of most wanted.Njoya and Kenneth Matiba were once whipped thoroughly,together with other fighters for multipartism,in front of rolling television cameras.
Amid pre-trial detentions and violent tortures,Njoya fought relentless for multipartism and was more than determined.Consequentially,section 2A of the then constitution was repealed to pave way for multiparty in 1990.
Also,July 7,1990 resounds in Timothy Njoya’s mind.Its the time when he and others found themselves trapped in Moi’s net for reading from a different script and put under police custody during the Saba Saba day.
The retired PCEA cleric was a selfless crusader for human rights and demcracy in Kenya which saw him be recognized by the E.H Johnson and John Hamphrey awards.
Timothy Njoya,in an exclusive interview with KTN once said that Moi lost the battle to him and therefore he was the one to ask for forgiveness.”He lost the battle to me and he was the one to apologize. The kingdom he was advocating for fell,but the God’s kingdom that I advocate for will reign and prevail forever.” He said.
About The Author
