As the presidential police opened fire and killed several supporters of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga's Kenya People's Union (KPU) in Kisumu on Sunday, October 25, 1969, the opposition leader, his family and aides were hiding inside the Nyanza Provincial Hospital.
The situation turned sour when Oginga's supporters rebuked and condemned his former ally and boss, President Jomo Kenyatta who had arrived to officially open the foreign aid funded facility, singing the KPU Dume! (Bull) slogans and demanding to know the whereabouts of former politician Tom Mboya who had been assassinated months earlier.
The situation that soon culminated in a massacre that left many dead and others wounded.
After the 15 minute ordeal, the two would again meet before Kenyatta left for the neighbouring Kericho town for a cabinet meeting, but the head of state cautioned Jaramogi that he only spared his life due to their friendship, otherwise he would have 'crushed him like flour'.
"Jaramogi, if you were not my friend, I would have crushed you like unga (flour mill). You are rich, while people of Nyanza are starving," the founding father was quoted by the Standard as having told Oginga, as the two exchanged bitter words after the shootout.
Oginga, known for his resilience, retorted back, telling the President that the people were complaining because they were not happy with his friendship after failing to deliver on his independence pledges.
"People are crying because they are hungry. You have not given them what you promised at Independence," he hit back.
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