On Sunday, September 14, 2003, University of Nairobi political science lecturer Professor Chrispin Odhiambo Mbai was pronounced dead after several gunmen stormed his Adams Arcade home and shot him multiple times in the presence of his daughter.
Upon learning of the lecturer’s death, and fueled by anger, hundreds of University of Nairobi students took to the streets on September 15, 2003, marching to the office of the then Minister of Internal Security, Chris Murungaru.
However, a heavy police presence from the anti-riot unit confronted them, attempting to quell the protests. Students hurled stones at police officers while engaging in running battles through the streets of Nairobi.
Another group of students marched to the Bomas of Kenya in Lang’ata to disrupt a constitutional review conference. They intended to present a memorandum to Yash Pal Ghai, the Chairperson of the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC).
Odhiambo Mbai Murdered
Shouting slogans honoring the late professor, the students alleged that certain government officials were working to sabotage the constitutional reform efforts. Their march was, however, cut short by police before they could arrive at the venue.
At the time of his death, Professor Mbai was reportedly relaxing in the living room of his maisonette in Adams Arcade, while his teenage daughter Catherine Atieno Mbai was upstairs.
Also Read: Today in History: Moi Government Ruthlessly Cracks Down on Saba Saba Protesters
According to Catherine’s testimony, three armed men broke into the house. One of them shouted, “We have been sent to kill you.” Mbai resisted, throwing a stool at the attackers. In response, one of them shot him multiple times in the head and chest.
The assailants fled, and Catherine, alarmed by the noise, rushed downstairs to find her father struggling to breathe, “gurgling” in a pool of blood. She screamed for help. Mbai was later rushed to the hospital but succumbed to the gunshot wounds.
Raila Odinga Condemns Mbai’s Killing
At the time, Prof. Mbai was serving as the Chairperson of the Devolution Committee within the CKRC. At the Bomas Constitutional Conference, he was a leading voice advocating for devolution and proposing a reduction in presidential powers. These proposals brought division within the ruling National Rainbow Coalition (NARC).
Some delegates and students alleged that Mbai’s assassination was politically motivated, aimed at silencing reformists.
Raila Odinga, then leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a close ally of Mbai, condemned the killing, calling it a political “assassination.” Odinga supported similar constitutional reforms, including a parliamentary system, strong devolution, and curbing presidential authority.
Also Read: Today in History: Jerry Rawlings Rises to Power After Leading Two Military Coups in Ghana
During the 2003 constitutional review, NARC was split: Raila’s LDP faction backed a parliamentary model with an executive prime minister and devolved governance, while President Mwai Kibaki’s DP faction preferred a strong presidential system and a more centralized government.
To date, Mbai’s murder remains unsolved. Three suspects were arrested and charged in connection with the assassination, but in 2005, all were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
