Born in Samia, he first worked for the Nairobi Municipal Council before resigning in 1944. He later founded a paper called Habari za Dunia, and when he joined KAU, he became one of the editors of the party’s mouthpiece ‘Sauti ya Mwafrika’.
Around that time he. was also a prominent businessman around that time trading in crocodile skin. For this purpose, he operated a big warehouse in Kisumu just near the lake.
In 1946, he was selected alongside James Gichuru to travel to London to deliver the party’s memorandum to the colonial office, ask Jomo Kenyatta to return home, and give him the money collected for his ticket to Kenya.
However, Gichuru opted out of the trip, forcing Awori to travel alone. Even though he achieved what he had been sent to do in London with Kenyatta returning to Kenya in September, he became stranded there for months after running out of money. His father canon Awori had to raise money to send him to buy a return ticket to Kenya.
When Kenyatta took over the leadership of KAU some months after he returned to Kenya in 1946, he appointed WWW Awori as his deputy. However, the radical elements within the party forced him out of the position after only one year. He, however, still remained a member of the executive committee.
In 1950, Kenyatta sent Awori to London to shop for a new printing press for Sauti ya Mwafrika. However the journey was full of hiccups for when Awori reached Port Said, he lost everything.
John Gatu who was present during one meeting convened at Kaloleni Social Hall by Kenyatta to raise more money for Awori’s trip recalled Kenyatta saying:
“W.W.W. Awori amenikosea; kama angalikuwa hapa ningalimpiga kwa fimbo hii. Nilimtuma aende Ulaya na alipofika Port Said akasema vitu vyake viliibiwa hata typewriter yake. Lakini kwa sababu hayuko hapa tutamtumia pesa zingine.” (W.W.W. Awori has wronged me. Were he here, I would whack him with my walking stick. We sent him to Europe but when he reached Port Said, he said that his luggage, including his typewriter had been stolen. However, since he is not here, we shall send him more money.)
In October 1952 following the declaration of the State of Emergency and the subsequent arrest of top KAU leaders among them Kenyatta, Walter Odede Rachilo became the new president while WWW. Awori became the Vice-President. The two were also serving as members of the Legislative Council having been appointed by the Governor in June 1952.
Odede’s leadership was , however, short-lived lived for he was arrested five months later after being snitched on by Chief Gideon Magak of Kasipul. He was on a tour of South Nyanza when Magak informed the police that Mau Mau agents were in his home.
With Odede also in detention, WWW. Awori was entrusted with the leadership of KAU. But he later betrayed the trust bestowed upon him when he made a secret visit to the Government House on June 6, 1953, and informed the Governor that he was not happy with his position in KAU.
According to a confidential telegram “No. 700”, he further recommended to the Governor that the political outfit should be banned since it was hindering efforts to restore law and order and was being used by the Kikuyu to further radicalism. He , however, requested the Governor not to make his views public.
Two days later the Governor banned KAU and made the continued membership a serious offence. He subsequently vested all the party’s property in Mr. M.N. Evans, who was an African Court Officer.
Awori remained a member of the Legislative Council representing the then North Nyanza District until 1956. When Africans were allowed to elect their representatives for the first time in 1957, he vied for the same seat but lost to Masinde Muliro. He again vied in the 1963 general elections but was defeated. He then decided to leave politics to lead a private life.
