Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi/FILEPrime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, has led tributes to John Kirimi M’Murungi, popularly known as JK, describing him as a towering figure in Meru politics and community life.
The veteran councilor, who passed away on August 20, 2025, at the age of 88, was laid to rest at Kithirune Primary School in Meru, where leaders, clergy, and residents gathered to honor his life of service.
Mudavadi’s condolence message, delivered by his Special Advisor Kibisu Kabatesi, hailed JK as “an institution within the greater Meru area” and “a giant in Meru leadership” whose legacy spanned education, business, politics, and public service.
“The greatest political tribute to JK is that for the 30
years he served as a Councilor, he was always nominated. This speaks to his
affable character that earned him the trust of Government regimes across three
decades,” Mudavadi said.
The Prime CS reminisced about his close interactions with JK during his stint as Minister for Local Government between 2008 and 2013.
“It is during part of this period that I came to know JK as a diligent leader. I often sought his advice on the running of the Meru County Council,” he said.
Mudavadi emphasised that JK’s influence extended far beyond politics.
“Throughout this illustrious political career, he also had in his kofia public service as Director at the National Irrigation Board; a member of the National Executive Council of Njuri Ncheke and Founder and Executive member of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Meru Branch,” he said.
“These few snapshots of JK buttress his legacy of exemplary dedication to serve, that younger generations ought to desire,” he added.
The CS prayed for peace and comfort for the family, relatives, and friends of the departed leader.
“May God comfort you in this difficult period. We pray that his soul rest in eternal peace. And may we find comfort in the deep impact he made on so many lives,” he said.
Other leaders who attended the burial echoed Mudavadi’s sentiments. Methodist Archbishop Emeritus Lawi Imathiu said JK’s life was one of “service without self-interest,” while former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza described him as “a leader whose humility and wisdom united people.”
For three decades, JK served in both the Meru Municipal Council and the Meru County Council (1983–2013), always through nomination—an achievement that underlined his trustworthiness and cross-generational appeal.
His passing, leaders noted, marked the end of an era in Meru’s political history.
Fondly remembered as JK, Cllr. John Kirimi M’Murungi leaves behind a legacy deeply woven into the county’s political, cultural, and economic fabric.
