Joan Argwings-Kodhek’s role in easing Raila’s struggle to build a gas cylinder empire

Raila Odinga began lecturing in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nairobi in May 1970, after mastering Production Technology at Magdeburg University in East Germany. He was kept under constant surveillance by the Special Branch and encountered both overt and covert racism as the third black lecturer in the university's Mechanical Engineering Department.

His decision to put his political ambitions aside was strategic. His father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who had been an astute entrepreneur since 1947, was in detention in Hola. With his older brother, Oburu Oginga, completing his economics studies in Moscow, Raila's entry into politics would have increased the risk of his detention by the Jomo Kenyatta regime. This would have jeopardised their family businesses, which were increasingly being looted in Jaramogi's absence.

Jaramogi's homes had many beneficiaries. His wife, Mary Juma, was struggling to provide for their children: six-year-old Ruth; Wenwa, who was in Form Four; Beryl, who was in Form Three; Fred in Form One; and Osewe in Standard Six. Jaramogi's second wife, Gaudencia, and her baby, Caroline, had also been served with a notice to vacate their residence in Nairobi West.

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Besides these immediate family members, there were many cousins, students and other people who depended on Jaramogi's generosity. Raila's lecturer's salary of Sh2,000 was not enough to meet the family's monthly expenses. He, however, resolved to honour his father's financial commitments. He drew up a balance sheet, mapping out all the financial obligations that had to be considered. Jaramogi's Lolwe buses and Luo Thrift and Trading, Kenya's first public company and the parent company of Ramogi Press, had borrowed heavily and had no income with which to service their loans.

Raila, therefore, approached Jaramogi's proxy, Okondo Onyango, then managing director of United African Corporation, and asked him to act as Jaramogi’s representative on the board. To Raila's disappointment, his request was rejected on the grounds that he needed a “power of attorney” from Jaramogi.

In a state of panic, Ochieng Maena, the secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, introduced Raila to Franz Schineis, an engineer, playboy and gambler from Münster, Germany.

Raila and Franz registered a joint start-up company, Franz Schineis and Partners Co, and rented offices on the 10th floor of Caltex House. Raila was the “sleeping partner” because of his employment at the University of Nairobi. They began repairing and maintaining boilers for several companies, including chemical plants, factories and tea and coffee processors. While installing a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder, Raila noticed that all the cylinders were imported.