John Michuki

John Njoroge Michuki (born 1932) is a Kenyan politician, currently serving as Minister for the Environment and Mineral Resources and as acting Minister for Finance. He is an MP from the Kangema Constituency.

He was born in 1932 at Iyego location, Kangema division, in Muranga District. He dropped out of primary school in 1943 and left for Nairobi where he did odd jobs at a tailoring shop, fixing buttons and, may be, ironing. It was here that the 12-year-old lad made some money to go back to school in 1944 but it ran out again in 1945 and he had to switch to Kiangunyi Primary School, where he struggled until he passed his Kenya African Primary Education (KAPE). He finally completed his 'A' Levels at the Mang'u High School, where he also met the present-day president, Mwai Kibaki. Later Michuki studied administration and finance at Worcester College, Oxford, UK.

Michuki joined the civil service at the age of 25 in 1955, and at the height of Mau Mau War Michuki started working for the colonial administration when the word state security was used to intimidate the African press. From 1970 to 1979 he was the chairman of the Kenya Commercial Bank. From 1983 until 1988 he was a KANU MP from Kangema Constituency Center for Multiparty Democracy: [http://www.cmd.or.ke/images/Politics%20and%20Paliamenterians%20in%20Kenya.pdf "Politics and Parliamentarians in Kenya 1944-2007"] ] and held various assistant ministerial positions.

At the 1992 general election, the first multiparty election in Kenya, he was elected from Kangema Constituency representing the Ford-Asili party. He retained his seat at the next election in 1997, but for a Ford-People ticket.

For the December 2002 election he joined the successful National Rainbow Coalition and retained the Kangema seat. He was appointed as the Minister of Transport and Communications under President Mwai Kibaki, who had won the concurrent presidential election. His tenure as Minister of Transport and Communications is best remembered for the tough "Michuki Rules" which stated that all matatus and buses in Kenya had to install speed governors and passenger safety belts. When these rules came into effect in February 2004, Kenya was faced with brief traffic chaos due to lack of competent vehicles.

In the December 2005 cabinet reshuffle, he was appointed as the Minister of Internal Security. He ordered the raid on "The Standard" newspaper and the KTN television station in March 2006. This action was widely condemned by Kenyan and international press and diplomats. It has been claimed that the Government hired mercenaries to carry out the raid, but the Government has denied it arguing that by definition mercenaries are soldiers who are hired to overthrow a government, not raid media houses. The Kenyan government has confirmed it ordered police to raid the offices of a newspaper and its sister TV station KTN.“The raid was a matter of State Security. When you rattle a snake you must be prepared to be bitten by it.” "Internal Security Minister John Michuki said the raids on the Standard group in Nairobi were designed to protect state security."Signed National Security minister, John Michuki

Michuki was moved to the position of Minister for Roads and Public Works in the Cabinet named by President Kibaki on January 8 2008, following the controversial December 2007 presidential election. [ [http://allafrica.com/stories/200801080673.html "Kenya: Kibaki Names Cabinet"] , "The East African Standard" (allAfrica.com), January 8, 2008.] After Kibaki and his opponent, Raila Odinga, reached a power-sharing agreement, [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/E991FAE0-2FD8-4B72-AFE7-0C2B1F9E89FC.htm "Odinga sworn in as Kenya PM"] , Al Jazeera, April 17, 2008.] Anthony Kariuki, [http://politics.nationmedia.com/inner.asp?pcat=NEWS&cat=TOP&sid=1787 "Kibaki names Raila PM in new Cabinet"] , nationmedia.com, April 13, 2008.] Michuki was appointed as Minister for the Environment and Mineral Resources in the Cabinet named on April 13 2008 and sworn in on April 17. President Kibaki appointed Michuki as the new Minister for Finance on July 11, 2008 after the resignation of Kimunya. [http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/east_africa/0,2172,173076,00.html "Kibaki names ally as acting Kenya finance minister"] , SABC News, July 11, 2008.]

References

* The Standard, December 8, 2005: [http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=33359 Kibaki’s new cabinet]
* http://www.statehousekenya.go.ke/government/cvs/johnmichuki.htm

* BBC/CNN/Reuters/ABS News/Financial Times UK/East African Standard etc, Thursday, March 2nd, 2006Reg the raid on East African Standard and KTNhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4765250.stm

External links

* http://www.parliament.go.ke/MPs/members_michuki_n.php