Little Known Facts about Former Powerful Minister Simeon Nyachae

The demise of Simeon Nyachae marks the end of an era in Kisii politics. The son of paramount Chief Musa Nyandusi rose from being a junior provincial administration officer to become a powerful minister in Moi government. Nyachae was a district officer, a district commissioner and a provincial commissioner before he quit the civil service to join politics.

He quit school to work as a district clerk in his father's office. But his father later convinced him and he went back to school.

He was elected as a member for parliament for Nyaribari Chache in 1992 elections and then appointed by former president Daniel Arap Moi as the Minister for Finance in 1998. Prior to 2002 general elections, he was among the KANU adherents who quit the Party to the opposition.

When he was serving in Moi’s government, he rattled most of Moi’s insiders when he lamented that Kenya’s economy was in ICU.

He briefly joined hands with Mwai Kibaki, Wamalwa Kijana and Charity Ngilu before he severed ties and contested as a presidential candidate on a Ford People party where he got a paltry 5 percent votes in his favor.

Kibaki would later appoint Nyachae as the Minister for Roads. This was after he had fallen out with Raila Odinga and the Orange brigade that campaigned against the 2005 constitutional plebiscite. 

Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i once served as Nyachae’s personal assistant (PA). 

Nyachae was a business mogul whose interest ranged from real estate to banking. He has died at a time when he was largest shareholder in NCBA bank.