He was incarcerated at the infamous Nyayo House torture chambers for his involvement in Mwakenya in the 80s. He was a businessman in Nairobi first came into the public scene in 1969 when he contested for the then larger Ndia parliamentary seat, but lost to James Njiru.
He again tried for the same seat in 1974 and lost again to Njiru resulting to a political rivalry between the two. His health began to deteriorate after his release from detention, resulting to a collapse of his business.
Gitari made history when he successfully represented himself at the High Court in Nairobi during the hearing of a civil case where he sued the Government for illegal arrest and detention without trial.
T
The court awarded him Sh8 million compensation to the disbelief of lawyers who sought to represent him over the matter but whose approach, he had turned down. By the time of being taken ill, the Government was in the process of compensating him and had only made partial payments to the deceased.
Source: standardmedia.co.ke
according to his kin.
During his funeral at his Kianjege West village in Ndia constituency,
leaders from Kirinyaga County called for the recognition of all people
who were involved in the fight for multiparty democracy.
Led by Kirinyaga Senator Daniel Karaba, the leaders said it is
unfortunate that those who sacrificed themselves in the fight for
multiparty democracy were never appreciated.
Karaba said Gitari’s family members who also suffered during his absence
as the family head should be compensated.
“Once a suspected Mwakenya was arrested his family was left languishing
in abject poverty besides being subjected to social stigmatisation,”
Karaba said.
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/thecounties/article/2000129697/mwakenya-founder-passes-on-after-long-illness
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Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/thecounties/article/2000129697/mwakenya-founder-passes-on-after-long-illness