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Kenya: Family Reveals Cause of Njonjo’s Death, It Was Pneumonia

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Nairobi — Sir Charles Njonjo, the last surviving member of the independence Cabinet died of Pneumonia. He was aged 101.

According to his son in law, Carey Ngini, the Duke of Kabeteshire had been ailing since 2020, coupled with old age.

“Over the course of last year and this year, he’d been battling one ailment or another, very well despite his age,” Ngini told KTN News at the Kariokor where Njonjo’s body was cremated 3 hours after he died at his Muthaiga home at 5am on Sunday.

The family said the cremation was accoriding to his will.

“As of this morning (Sunday, January 2), at around 5:15am, he breathed his last. It was actually as a result of a little bout of pneumonia, which he suffered. Pneumonia had compromised his lungs. His passing was peaceful. He was surrounded by his family members,” Ngini said.

Recalling his last conversation with him, Ngini said, “As late as last night, we’d had some interesting conversations together. He was lucid, his memory was clear, but he was unwell and he was weak.”

President Uhuru Kenyatta who led Kenyans in mourning Njonjo, the last member of the independence Cabinet described him as a “selfless leader” who gave his all in serving the nation.

“The passing away of Hon. Njonjo is a big blow not only to his immediate family, friends and relatives but to all Kenyans and indeed, the entire African continent because of his leading role in the founding of the Kenyan nation at independence,” President Kenyatta said in a dispatch from State House.

Njonjo, who hails from Kabete in the outskirts of the capital Nairobi, was known for his English mannerisms and eloquence entrenched in Britain where he undertook studies and lived for some time before coming back to Kenya and subsequently taking up the AG’s job.

Njonjo, who hails from Kabete in the outskirts of the capital Nairobi, was known for his English mannerisms and eloquence entrenched in Britain where he undertook studies and lived for some time before coming back to Kenya and subsequently taking up the AG’s job.

As a nation, the president said “we owe a debt of gratitude to Hon. Njonjo and his generation of independence era leaders for their selfless contribution to the laying of the solid foundation upon which our country continues to thrive.”

Deputy President William Ruto said “Njonko devoted his life in serving our country in pre-and post-independent Kenya as a civil servant, Attorney-General, Kikuyu MP and Constitutional Affairs Minister. He was knowledgeable, blunt and a dedicated advocate for the causes he believed in.”