JKLIVE | Lee Njiru: Ears of Power [Part 2]

Njiru on why Kenyatta family remains magnetic amid Mt. Kenya rivalry

[gladysmweti]

Lemmi tell you Jeff, I can listen to Lee Njiru 24/7 he's a wise man ..

[ooj]

Lee Njiru had a better life than the presidents he served 😂😂😂

[kibetkirui]

Great man. You sit down with this and you will be humbled by his humility, simplicity and vast knowledge. This interview is just a tip of an iceberg.

[kagundateddy]

The **Concorde** was a British-French turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner that was in service from 1976 until 2003. It was one of only two supersonic transports to ever enter commercial service, the other being the Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144. The Concorde was developed and manufactured by British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) and Aérospatiale under an Anglo-French treaty.

### Key Features:
- **Supersonic Speed:** The Concorde could cruise at speeds of Mach 2.04 (about 1, 354 miles per hour or 2, 180 kilometers per hour), more than twice the speed of sound. This allowed it to reduce transatlantic flight times by over half, typically taking around 3.5 hours to fly from London to New York.
- **Distinctive Design:** The aircraft featured a slender fuselage, a sleek delta wing design, and a drooping nose to improve visibility during takeoff and landing.
- **Altitude:** The Concorde flew at altitudes of around 60, 000 feet, much higher than subsonic commercial jets. Passengers could see the curvature of the Earth and experience less turbulence.

### Operational History:
- **First Flight:** The Concorde's first flight took place on March 2, 1969. It entered commercial service on January 21, 1976, with simultaneous flights by British Airways from London to Bahrain and Air France from Paris to Rio de Janeiro.
- **Routes:** The Concorde primarily operated on transatlantic routes, particularly between London Heathrow and New York JFK, and Paris Charles de Gaulle and New York JFK.
- **Luxury Travel:** The Concorde was considered a luxury mode of travel due to its high ticket prices. It was popular among celebrities, business executives, and affluent travelers.

### Challenges and Retirement:
- **Environmental Impact:** The Concorde faced criticism for its noise, particularly during takeoff, and for the sonic boom it generated. Environmental concerns also arose due to its high fuel consumption.
- **Economic Viability:** Operating costs for the Concorde were extremely high, and its commercial viability was limited. The aircraft could carry about 100 passengers, which was far fewer than subsonic jets, and the high costs of maintenance and fuel contributed to its limited profitability.
- **Accidents:** The most significant incident in the Concorde's history was the crash of Air France Flight 4590 on July 25, 2000, shortly after takeoff from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground. The crash was caused by a strip of metal left on the runway by another aircraft, which punctured one of the Concorde's tires, leading to a catastrophic chain of events.
- **Retirement:** The Concorde was retired in 2003, partly due to the aftermath of the 2000 crash, rising maintenance costs, and a downturn in the aviation industry following the September 11 attacks.

The Concorde remains an iconic symbol of aviation history, representing the pinnacle of supersonic passenger travel. Despite its challenges, it is remembered for its technological innovation and the unique experience it offered to those who flew on it.

[MohamedDahir-hjoq]

Mzee Lee njiru is am icon to kenya journalist I worked with him as intern at kbc in 1990s.very sharp and elegant man congratulations Lee njiru.

[paulwangari]

i love him soo much he makes me learn alot and i agree with him about education we take alot of time learning things that does not make our country

[herbert]

this man Lee never ceases to excite me and many others. keep it up wise man

[mhdtfsr]

I wished the interview to continue upto 5am nitoke niede job, what a genius, Lee njiru

[rigieTM]

Very interesting history from the first hand man. The Book must be very interesting and informative. Long life Lee

[joeirungu]

I know why he serve President Moi all this long.

"If you can remember names like that, you become a very available assistant to a president"

Also his humility is truly admirable....

Happy Birthday Lee Njiru. I am inspired.

[jameskenyanjui]

Listening keenly to Njiru, we can all agree both President Kenyatta and Moi and partly Kibakis laid Kenya's development trajectory, democracy, governance and ultimately political landscape.They carried the burden and may they continue resting in peace all the late Presidents

[esthersagini]

The short time I interacted with Lee Njiru. Very wise and very shrewed and full of humour. He could describe a person or event to the minutest detail!

[OnesmusKamau-fthq]

Lee Njiru is a living encyclopedia.
You can't listen to him without a pen and a notebook.

[jobgithaga]

👍Sharp memory, he always Lee members everything

[arnoldmasaki]

Im a Tanzanian and I bought Lee Njiru's book while in Mombasa in December 2023. However I was struck by how Jomo Kenyatta refered to Julius Nyerere as slug while showing Moi TZ/Kenya boundary in late 1970s. Nyerere sluggishness made TZ a more stable country.

[ngondigakii]

His grandchildren must be so lucky. I can only imagine the stories he tells them.

[bosire]

I love this man Lee Njiru . He knows them all down the path!

[jameskenyanjui]

Njiru is a walking wisdom and we can learn a lot...history I tell you

[IchengaMugao-nfur]

The statement that nobody can handle Kenya's problems is defeatist, Moi like and KANU informed.

[shorttrendystories]

'What a man ! What a walking encyclopedia, this man has done everything on this has flown on a insert jeff voice .😂😂big up lee njiru.indeed an ICON