Sunday, January 27, 2013

End of road for Nyaga family Dynasty?




http://bit.ly/X30QbL
End of road for Nyaga family Dynasty?

http://bit.ly/X30QbL


After the patriarch exited the scene, his sons took over the mantle but their fortunes have been dwindling steadily.
Since independence, the families of most leaders who fought for Kenya’s independence had a grip on national politics and leadership in various regions. In Embu County, the family of the former minister the late Jeremiah Nyaga had controlled the politics of Gachoka Constituency and Embu County at large until 2007 when a former NCCK secretary general Rev Mutava Musyimi brought it to an end.
Born in 1920, the late Jeremiah Nyaga the father of Cooperatives Development minister Joseph Nyaga ascended to power in 1958 when he was elected to represent Embu, Mbeere and Kirinyaga counties at the pre–independence legislative council (LegCo).
Nyaga was later to become one of the most influential leaders to serve under the Jomo Kenyatta government in the post-independence Kenya as a Member of Parliament for the larger Embu until in 1988 when the constituency was divided into Runyenjes, Siakago and Gachoka.
After the divisions, Nyaga opted to vie for the Gachoka parliamentary seat in the 1988 General Election under the one party rule alongside Kamwithi Munyi and Sylvester Mate who were also elected to represent Runyenjes and Siakago constituencies respectively. Other than representing the Mbeere community in parliament, the influential MP also served as a cabinet minister in both the Kenyatta and Moi governments.
While in government, Nyaga ensured his children got the best government appointments with the first born son Joseph Nyaga appointed an Ambassador and later the Kenya Airways chief executive officer for three years. His third born son, Nahashon Nyaga also benefitted from his father’s influential position in government and was Central Bank governor between 2001 and 2003.
In 1992, during the advent of the multi-party politics, Jeremiah bowed out of active politics due to ill health leaving the Gachoka parliamentary seat up for grabs and it is his son Norman Munene King’ang’i Nyaga who captured the seat on a Democratic Party ticket. The outspoken Norman also served as MP for Gachoka for one term until the 1997 General Election when his elder brother Joseph Nyaga contested the seat and won on a Kanu ticket.
Norman contested for the competitive Kamukunji parliamentary seat in Nairobi where he also won on a DP ticket. Retired president Moi gave Joseph a ministerial post while his younger brother joined the opposition. The two retained their seats in the 2002 elections on the National Rainbow Coalition tickets. Joseph was appointed assistant minister under the Kibaki administration and Norman Nyaga was Government chief whip.
However, politics started proving to be a hard nut to crack for the two brothers and were both voted out in the 2007 elections. Norman was the first to lose when he lost the PNU nomination ticket to newcomer Simon Mbugua. He decamped to Kalembe Ndile’s Tip Tip but lost in the General Election.
The Mbeere community, who are the major inhabitants of Gachoka, voted for Musyimi who comes from the neighbouring Kamba community. With the retirement from politics of Joseph Nyagah and Norman not contesting, the Nyaga dynasty may be on the wane.

1 comment:

  1. @Reuben kithua,as far as mbeere people they elected mutava as mp now its 10 years no development in mbeere south ,2017 people of mbeere south they are wise and ready opted to vote their son who has administration skills in the government and ready to serve people of mbeere Hon colonel: Geoffrey king"ang"i

    ReplyDelete