[4] The Njonjo family were close friends of Harry Leakey, whose son (Louis) and paternal grandson (Richard, who died on the same day as Charles) later played important roles in archaeology and Kenyan politics.
[5] In 1939, Charles and his brother James[6] were admitted to King's College Budo, a rather privileged school in East Africa.
As soon as the Colonial administration in Kenya learnt of his decision to study for the Bar, they cut off his stipend and he had to wait tables to make ends meet.
He was also asked to move out of 36 Great Cumberland Place which housed Kenyan students and visiting dignitaries in London.
[8] Charles Njonjo also served as the first ethnic African Chairman of the Board of Governors (BoG) of The Kenya High School.
[8] In June 1956, he was posted to Mombasa where he worked as the deputy Official Receiver (in charge of Bankruptcies) and later Crown Counsel.
[9] In 1976, during a period of tense relations between Kenya and Uganda, Njonjo took part in secret negotiations with Israel that proved instrumental in the success of the Israeli military’s Operation Entebbe.
Charles Njonjo entered into parliament in April 1980 after retiring as attorney general at the age of 60, a post in which he had served for 17 years.
[14] In October 2006 there were indications that Njonjo was attempting a comeback in Kenyan politics, including his show of support for Raila Odinga.
Njonjo had been the best man of his close friend Tom Mboya, who married Pamela Odede at St. Peter Claver's Catholic Church in January 1962.