On 20 May 1981, the High Court in Nairobi heard Kenya’s first post-independence treason trial against two suspects accused of attempting to overthrow the government of President Daniel Arap Moi.
The trial had begun after Andrew Mungai Muthemba and Dickson Kamau Muiruri were charged on 19 March 1981 with treason-related offenses, including alleged conspiracy to acquire and move weapons and explosives between late 1980 and early 1981.
Who Were The Two Suspects?
Andrew Mungai Muthemba was a Nairobi-based businessman who owned Kentazuga Hardware Ltd and several cement and hardware stores.
He was also a cousin of former Attorney-General Charles Njonjo, a connection that later attracted political attention during subsequent investigations.
The co-accused, Dickson Kamau Muiruri, was described in court as an unemployed Nairobi resident allegedly recruited by Muthemba to help acquire weapons.
He was charged with failing to report an alleged plot, an offense that at the time carried a mandatory life imprisonment sentence.
Why Were They Arrested?
Andrew Mungai Muthemba and Dickson Kamau Muiruri were arrested after being linked to an alleged attempt to acquire military-grade weapons.
Authorities believed the weapons could be used in a plot to destabilize President Daniel Arap Moi’s government.
Investigators said the pair sought to obtain grenades, bombs, rifles, machine guns, mortars, plastic explosives, bomb timers, and remote-control devices from Kenya Air Force and army personnel.
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According to court records, they approached Kenya Air Force corporal Joseph Njiru Shimba and Captain Ricky Waithaka Gitucha, allegedly offering money in exchange for stolen weapons.
The two military officers later alerted security agencies, prompting the Special Branch, under James Kanyotu, to launch an investigation.
Captain Gitucha reportedly worked undercover to monitor the operation before the suspects were arrested and charged.
Andrew Mungai Charged With Treason After Weapons Case Dropped
Andrew Mungai Muthemba and Dickson Kamau Muiruri were first arraigned in court on March 19, 1981, on charges linked to the attempted procurement of sophisticated weapons.
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The prosecution initially accused the pair of seeking to obtain large quantities of military-grade arms, including explosives and firearms.
A week later, the original weapons-procurement charges were withdrawn and replaced with new offenses.
Muthemba was charged with treason for allegedly attempting to depose President Daniel Arap Moi’s government through unlawful means.
Muiruri, meanwhile, was charged with failing to report the alleged plot, an offense that at the time carried a severe penalty under Kenyan law.
This became Kenya’s first‑ever acquittal in a treason case, a landmark in the country’s political‑legal history.
