Rarely did the late Queen of England, Elizabeth II, reprimand Britons for interfering in the royal family's business. When she did, time seemed to stand still while everything she said was dissected to the tiniest grains and analyzed until nothing was left to say.
This week, the former first lady of Kenya—a "queen" in every sense of the word—retaliated against the government for the needless politicization of tax issues.
Political rumour has it that the Kenyatta family owes money in taxes for their several businesses that they have neglected to pay for decades.
Nyandarua Senator John Methu has supposedly written to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) asking for a tax audit of companies held by Uhuru Kenyatta's family, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has publicly stated that he wants an alleged law exempting the Kenyatta, and Moi estates from paying tax deleted.
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Tired of all the blather, Mama Ngina Kenyatta sent a daring message to the government asking them to auction off her land and possessions to pay off any alleged debt if it is true that she has not been paying Caeser what is rightfully his.
Many powerful and powerless people were surprised by her response since it showed that the force behind Kenya's most influential family—both financially and politically—was responding to what some may refer to as political rumours.
Her appeara
nce and words are so compelling that even President William Ruto seemed to pay attention to her.
She has been called numerous names, and her name frequently comes up in conversations, mostly badly but sometimes positively. Despite this, she never responds, causing people to wonder if such dialogues—true or false—even merit her attention.
The last time the former First Lady spoke in public was on March 22, 2022, at the burial of Nelly Wanjiku, the mother of Bishop Ernest Karanja in Kiambu county—a distinction she shares with very few women worldwide. She used it to criticize individuals who attacked her son, former president Uhuru Kenyatta, for endorsing Raila Odinga's presidential campaign.
"We shall leave those who attack others alone; perhaps their remarks are motivated by their upbringing. Be careful of where you are going as we endeavour to love one another and advance the affairs of our nation," Mama Ngina said.
Furthermore, your leader cannot direct you onto a course that is not beneficial to you. The one I tell you, who sits on a tree stump, knows what the ants eat. Uhuru had no issues with his deputy, but should you keep dealing with him or continue if your deputy misbehaves? Please proceed in the direction he (Uhuru) indicates.
Before that, in 2019, she addressed the crowd in just under 60 seconds at the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi during the funeral of the late EABL chairman Jeremiah Kiereini, calling on the young people to show greater patriotism and follow in the footsteps of their forefathers.
Mama Ngina, a protective matriarch looking out for the family and reprimands intruders, is 89. She is reputed to be incredibly quiet and acts more like an enigma who only emerges from the shadows when her family's reputation is dragging in the dirt.
Since the time of Jomo Kenyatta, she has not been active in politics, and even after his death, she hasn't dared to enter the turbulent world of politics. She has amazingly stayed incredibly private while still being in total control.
But she also has a plan for how she operates. She is a devout Catholic; therefore, whenever she breaks her quiet, it is always during funerals and in churches.
Her most recent appearance in a public debate took place at the dedication of the Tewa Catholic Church in Mpeketoni, Lamu County, which she assisted in building.
She occupies the highest position in the history of the country. Whether or not she is in power, she embodies the term "Founding Mother of the Nation," Whenever she speaks, many people sit up and pay attention.
