Simeon Nyachae
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Simeon Nyachae (1932-) is a Kenyan politician and minister from Kisii District of Nyanza Province. He was born in Nyaribari location in 06 Feb 1932 to the then powerful colonial chief of the location Musa Nyandusi. Nyachae's earlier exposure to western education was facilitated by his own father, himself a mission educated graduate who used his strong influence and acquittance to the colonial administrators to be appointed chief. Born into a large polygamous family, Nyachae was fortunate that his father developed a particular liking for him, more than his elder brother James Oiruria, who apparently was less talkative and outgoing than Simon Nyachae. In 1941 his father put him in Nyanchwa Seventh-day Adventist School and laterin 1947 he joined Kereri intermediate school. However, two years later in 1949, he joined Kisii Government African School but in 1953 just a year before he sat for the then Ordinary Level School Certificate, he withdrew from the school and was employed at his father's chief camp as a district clerk in 1954.
Thus Simon Nyachae's long career in the Civil service began at this point. However, in 1957 Nyachae's father realised that his son would be better off with higher education and that is why he arranged for his admission to study Public administration in London. Upon his return to Kenya in 1960 Nyachae was posted as a District Officer in Kangundi Division and later returning to Churchill College, Cambridge for a diploma course in public administration. Upon his return to Kenya in 1964 he went back to the Provincial administration and from this pointed through his aggressiveness, he steadily rose in the ladder within the Provincial Administration serving as Provincial Commissioner and later chief secretary in the Civil Service, under the Kenyatta and Moi governments.
On his retirement from the civil service, Nyachae was easily one of the most prominent personalities from Kisii and this has been instrumental in his entry into the Moi government as a powerful cabinet minister. Later he fell out with Moi and left the ruling party KANU to join the opposition FORD People. However, during the 2002 General Elections he was almost sidelined from the mainstream Kenyan politics, but he stuck with Ford People. In 2004, when president Mwai Kibaki was facing strong opposition from his cabinet he recalled Nyachae to government and since then, he has served as Minister for Energy and later for Roads.
Nyachae has clearly made a mark in Kisii and Kenyan politics and as his generation of leaders are gradually reaching the sunset of their careers, the Gusii are now searching for a possible successor. Nyachae is a strong family man and he has a strong bond with his mother Pauline Bosibori.
On May 31, 2006 Nyachae declared intentions of retiring from politics due to his age. [1]
