There is no doubt that the then Students Organization of Nairobi University (SONU) currently known as the University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA) was the most powerful students' union in the country.
However, little is known about Titus Adungosi, the first chairman of the union who died at Kamiti maximum prison in 1988.
Popularly known as Tito, Adungosi was a third-year student of Architecture when rebels of the Kenya Airforce launched a failed coup to topple Daniel arap Moi's regime in 1982.
He was accused of leading students to demonstrating in support of the rebels. He was arrested and jailed on September 24, 1982, for 10 years. He died in December 1988, just two months before his release.
The cause of his death remains unclear since he was in good health prior to the sad news as maintained by his family.
"He was in good health and did not show signs of sickness. This was the last time a family member saw Titus alive. He had told his brother to make arrangements in preparation for his release. This was not be,” Adungosi's mother Marrianne Nyabola told the Daily Nation in a past interview.
The family was not immediately informed about the demise of their son as it is the norm and this made his death more complicated.
"My son died mysteriously. Nobody in the family knew that he had died until a month later when a certain Kanu official told us," the mother noted.
Renowned writer and columnist Barrack Muluka described Tito as a Christian boy who never liked troubles.
"Titus Adung’osi was a good Christian boy. He did not like trouble and he encouraged everybody else to steer clear of trouble. That was precisely why we elected the third year design student to the chairmanship of the university student’s union, late 1981," said Muluka in a Standard's article.
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