Fare thee well John Njoroge Michuki

The bio bellow is a story of the stern yet controvercial son of Kenya.We will remember him for many things but above all else are the Michuki rules. Those that changed the way Kenyans travel. As a young District Commissioner, aged only 27, John Njoroge Michuki watched in dismay and anger one afternoon as a white couple stormed out of his office on realising that he, a black man, was the very Government official meant to attend to them. The couple had anticipated to find a white administrator. This incident of 1961 at Nanyuki, Laikipia District, nearly 44 years ago, has remained a painful sore in the Internal Security minister's mind. Mr Michuki, who has severally recounted this scene, is furious for having been rejected by some of the people he was meant to serve. So as it were, the Minister was baptised by fire from the word go. And from that time, Michuki who largely answers to the old colonial mentality, having schooled, raised and worked under the colonial Government has proved a no-nonsense firm and tough-talking man, more like the colonial governors. Described by many as ruthlessly efficient, Michuki has presided over his ministries successfully emerging as one of the best performing ministers in President Kibaki's Government today. Only last month, he was declared winner of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights' Waziri award. Michuki received the award in recognition of his efforts to reform public transport. Born in 1932 at Iyego, Kangema in Murang'a District, Michuki went to Nyeri High School and then Mang'u High School where he and Kibaki did their "A" Levels. He later joined Worcester College, UK, where he studied administration and finance. On returning to Kenya, he became a D.O in 1958 in the colonial administration. He served as D.O in the then Fort Hall of Murang'a District, Vihiga Division and Busia Division in western Kenya between 1957 and 1961. At independence, President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, appointed him an under-secretary and then a permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance in 1965. Here again, aged 33, he stepped in the shoes of another white man, Mr John Butter, who was just retiring. The link between his past and his current tough stance is clearly evident. The reforms in the transport sector, for instance, were initially perceived as radical and impossible. But today, matatus are fitted with speed governors, seat belts, have a single colour with a yellow strip and uniformed personnel! The implementation was not a rosy affair and any weaker soul would have thrown in the towel. Ugly scenes of people trekking long miles to work, sleeping on pavements for lack of transport were the order of the day. In more serious cases, two or three commuters escaped death after dropping off from a moving train, for lack of alternative transport, and sustaining injuries. One of them, Christopher Waweru, even lost an arm. But the minister dismissed the victims as "adventurers": "Kenya Railways has no standing commitment with anybody hanging onto the train without a valid ticket. We must all observe necessary safety measures," he said. Before getting into active politics, Michuki served as chairman of the Kenya Commercial Bank from 1970-1979 when he attempted to capture the Kangema seat but lost to Joseph Kamotho. He won it in 1983 and was appointed to various assistant minister positions. He has been Kangema MP since the multi-party era in 1992. Story by OSCAR OBONYO Written sometime in 2005.