Life and times of fiery trade unionist turned-astute politician-George Muchai

He loved swimming and playing chess. And in real life, Kabete MP George Mukuru Muchai swam a lot in the murky waters of politics, besides making well-calculated moves on the trade union chessboard.

By the time of his death, Muchai, who also a fan of badminton, was engaged in a delicate balancing game of keeping two jobs – as an elected Member of Parliament and as deputy secretary general of the giant workers’ union, Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu).

When his opponents tried to lock him out of the 2013 poll because he had not resigned as an official of a parastatal, Muchai fought off the attempt. Then he was sitting on the National Industrial Training Board (NITB) board, as a Cotu nominee.

When Nita board chairman Thomas Akuja wrote to Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli, informing him of then Labour Minister John Munyes’ decision to revoke Muchai’s appointment, Atwoli sided with Muchai.

In his reply, the secretary general stated that the union had confidence in Muchai, and maintained that he would continue representing the interests of workers on the board.

“We wish to state clearly that the revocation by the minister of Muchai as the vice chairman of NITB has no bearing whatsoever on his nomination by Cotu as its representative on the board and that he will continue to serve in the board,” Atwoli’s letter read in part.

But a year down the line, the situation had changed, and the two union leaders were at each other’s throats. A Cotu board meeting at the Lake Bogoria Spa Resort in Baringo County resolved to oust Muchai as Atwoli’s deputy for alleged “unethical conduct”.

The fighter that he has always been, Muchai responded with equal venom and vigour.

“This is the beginning of the end of Atwoli, and his medicine man will no longer be able to assist him. He has created his own exit from the labour movement,” vowed Muchai.

The trade unionist cum politician then filed a court injunction seeking to freeze Cotu’s accounts. Just five days ago, however, the courts turned down his request.

But Atwoli is not the only individual to have crossed paths with Muchai.

His relationship with his Kiambu County governor, William Kabogo, is said to have been frosty. Some time in April, last year, the MP allegedly had an ugly confrontation with the governor over the latter’s claim that Muchai had misappropriated funds meant for a road project.

The politician, who was born on July 22, 1949, was an equally avid fighter against what he held as injustice. In September 2013, for instance, he protested against the slapping of Nairobi’s Women Representative Rachael Shebesh, and demanded that Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero leave office. Shebesh, argued Muchai, was slapped for her association with the working men and women of this country.

In the corridors of the Parliament Buildings, he walked like a man on a mission. It was rare to see him lounging about in the exclusive members’ lobby.

Having spoken 150 times in the 350-member National Assembly, Muchai was an active parliamentarian. In 2014, he spoke 66 times, according to Mzalendo Trust, the aggregator of MPs’ contributions.

He was instrumental in the passage of the Bill to reform the National Social Security Fund, and as a member of the Labour and Social Welfare Committee, the first-time MP was quite vocal in making sure the plight of workers was protected. He was, after all, the second in command at the workers’ umbrella body – Cotu. Muchai also sat in the Budget and Appropriations Committee.

On his way to clinching the Kabete parliamentary seat, Muchai beat former MP Lewis Nguyai by garnering 7,642 votes against Nguyai’s 6,802 in the party primaries of The National Alliance (TNA).

Plant technician

Muchai began his working life at Elliots Bakeries Limited, where he served as plant technician between 1975 and 1976, before taking up a teaching job at the Kiambu Institutute of Science and Technology, where he worked until 1983.

Muchai had been the general secretary of the Bakery, Confectionery, Food Manufacturing and Allied Workers’ Union – Kenya since 1984. This post marked the beginning of his journey as a no-nonsense trade unionist, culminating in his position as deputy secretary Cotu from 2001 to late last year.

The MP, who studied for a Bachelors of Laws Degree at Oxford University, sat his Certificate of Primary Education exams at St Michael Primary School, Nairobi, in 1963 and ‘O’ Level examinations at Highway Secondary School, also in Nairobi, in 1967. He also attended the Kenya Polytechnic (now Technical University of Kenya), where he got a technician certificate in 1980.

Muchai is the fourth legislator to die in the bicameral Eleventh Parliament, after Mutula Kilonzo (Makueni senator), Joseph Ngugi (Gatundu South MP) and Otieno Kajwang’ (Homa Bay senator).