• Kibaki enjoyed an illustrious political career that saw him become Moi’s Vice President before being elected the third president in 2002.
• Njonjo, who turned a 100 years a fortnight ago, served as Attorney General between 1963 and 1979. Osogo leads quiet life in Budalang'i, Busia county.
Image: COURTESY
The death of retired President Daniel Moi has left only four surviving powerful and influential politicians during Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’s era.
Moi died at the Nairobi Hospital on Tuesday morning after a long illness.
Former President Mwai Kibaki, 89, Charles Njonjo, 100, James Osogo, 88, and Nathan Munoko are the only surviving Independence politicians who wielded a lot of power in Kenyatta's government.
Some served in Mzee's first Cabinet in 1964.
Kenyatta appointed Kibaki as a parliamentary secretary (assistant minister) in 1963 before elevating him to a minister in 1967.
He enjoyed an illustrious political career that saw him become Moi’s Vice President before being elected the country’s third president in 2002.
Kibaki retired in March 2013 after serving two constitutional terms and is now enjoying his retirement in his Othaya home in Nyeri county.
Njonjo, who turned a 100 years a fortnight ago, is the only politician who served in the country's first Cabinet.
He was an ex-officio member of the Cabinet who served as Attorney General between 1963 and 1979.
The Duke of Kabeteshire, as he was popularly known, also served as Constitutional Affairs Minister in Moi’s government between 1980 and 1983.
Osogo, the other surviving person who served in Kenyatta's government, is leading a quiet life in Budalang'i constituency, Busia county.
Mzee Kenyatta appointed him as a parliamentary secretary for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry when he constituted his first Cabinet in 1963.
The ministry was headed by Bruce Mackenzie, the only white man in the Cabinet. Osogo was later appointed Minister for Information and Broadcasting in 1966.
He replaced Achieng Oneko who resigned from the position in solidarity with Vice President Oginga Odinga who had left the government after falling out with Kenyatta in 1966. He also served as a Local Government minister.
Munoko is the other survivor and he served as the Minister for Works between 1974 and 1979.
The rest of the pioneer Cabinet members have passed on, with Moi being the latest. Preceding Moi’s death was that of former Minister Joseph Otiende.
Otiende, the country’s first black Minister for Education, died in March 2017 and was buried in a solemn ceremony in Vihiga county.
Kenyatta’s initial Cabinet comprised of himself as Prime Minister, Oginga (Home Affairs), Mackenzie (Agriculture), Tom Mboya (Justice and Constitutional Affairs), Joseph Murumbi (State in the Prime Minister’s Office), James Gichuru (Finance) and Kyale Mwendwa (Labour).
Others were Mbiyu Koinange, Jackson Angaine, Julius Kiano, Otiende, Samuel Adoyo, Njoroge Mungai and Dawson Mwanyumba.
Kibaki and Moi joined the Cabinet later.
Moi found his way into the Cabinet after his Kadu party was folded and merged with Kanu in 1964.
Edited by R.Wamochie