On the afternoon of July 11, 1990 at exactly 1.02pm, Former South African President Nelson Mandela landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
During that time retired President Daniel Arap Moi had announced a crackdown on leaders who were rooting for multi-Party democracy.
Several of the multi-party advocates including John Khaminwa, Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia, Raila Odinga, and Gitobu Imanyara had been put behind bars.
Kenyans who were fully behind the transformation of the country to pave way for the multi-party democracy held their breath as they waited for the Mandela to intervene into the matter.
Mandela had been on the forefront in the fight to make African a better place for mankind.
However, Raila and other multi-party democrats had no reason to smile after Mandela decided to steer clear off the issue when they were suffering behind bars. Mandela instead said that the whole issue was to be decided by Kenyans.
He affirmed that he believed in the leadership of Moi and he had no reason to interfere with Kenya’s leadership in any way.
“It is the people of Kenya who will decide their own destiny. We will be prepared to abide by any decision taken by those who have been placed in positions of leadership. It is not for us to get involved in such internal affairs,” he said.
Moi later ordered for the detention of Edward Oyugi, Njeru Kathangu, former Kitutu Masaba MP George Anyona, former MP Kiruhi Kimondo and university lecturer Ngotho Kariuki over multiparty democracy.