# Death of Bishop Alexander Muge (14 August 1990)

URL: https://allhistories.com/kenya/timeline/1990-death-of-bishop-alexander-muge
Location: Eldoret, Kenya
Themes: main-event

On 14 August 1990 Alexander Kipsang Muge, the Anglican bishop of Eldoret and a fierce critic of the government, died when his car collided with a lorry near Kapsabet. He had been warned by a cabinet minister a few days earlier that he would be in danger if he visited Busia. The Kenya authorities called it an accident, while Church leaders and opposition figures suspected murder. Muge, a Kalenjin like the president, had criticised rigged elections, detentions and corruption. Along with Archbishop Manasses Kuria and Bishop Henry Okullu, he was among the clergy who defended the right of dissent when many other institutions were silent. The Church became a leading voice for reform, hosting meetings and issuing pastoral letters in the early 1990s. A later inquiry did not settle the cause of the crash. At the date of this event the principal authority over the largest part of present-day Kenya, by the convention of this dataset, lay with Daniel arap Moi, President of Kenya (1978–2002). The bishop's death became another case where state involvement was suspected, and Church-led criticism proved a central force in the fight for pluralism. The Church leaders of that decade, together with lawyers and students, supplied the leadership and cover for reformers when political parties were still illegal, and many were later honoured.

## Why it matters
The suspicious crash of a leading cleric symbolised the risks of dissent and the Church's role in the democratic struggle.

Ruler at the Time: [Daniel arap Moi](https://allhistories.com/kenya/rulers/daniel-arap-moi)

## Sources
- [Alexander Muge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Muge)
- [Presidency of Daniel arap Moi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Daniel_arap_Moi)
- [History of Kenya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Kenya)