Simeon Nyachae was a long-standing Kisii politician with years of experience in Kenyan leadership. The former government minister was equally skilled in business. His life story tells us more about his accomplishments and inherited family empire.
Nyachae’s legacy in civil service and Gusii politics often attracts mixed reactions. While fanatics feel he salvaged Kisii politics, critics allege he enriched himself at the expense of the Kisii Community.
Simeon Nyachae profile facts
Real name | Simeon Nyachae |
Birthday | February 6, 1932 |
Died | February 1, 2021 |
Lived for | 88 years |
Birthplace | Nyosia Village |
Home | Nyaribari Chache |
County | Kisii County |
Ethnicity | Kisii |
Nationality | Kenyan |
Father | Chief Musa Nyandusi |
Mother | Paulina Bosibori |
Party | Ford People |
Wives | 6 spouses |
Children | 35 children |
Net worth | Ksh. 100 billion |
Simeon Nyachae biography
The grip of power has seen the Nyachae family prospering throughout the years.
Nyachae was indeed a total Kisii man who singlehandedly seized power against the will of President Daniel Arap Moi.
Educational background
Early exposure to western education gave Simeon Nyachae an unequalled advantage against other tribesmen.
- 1941 โEnrolled at Nyanchwa Seventh Day Adventist School
- 1947 โStarted schooling at Kereri Intermediate School
- 1949 โEnrolled at the Kisii Government African School
- 1957 โPublic administration studies at Torquay Academy
- 1960s โPublic administration diploma at Churchill College, Cambridge
His father Nyandusi strongly believed in education as the only tool of success in days to come.
Nyachaeโs professional career
Nyachae started working in his early 20s and rose steadily into higher ranks in government.
- 1954 โDistrict Clerk in the chief camp office
- 1960 โBecame a Division District Officer in Kangundo
- 1963 โDistrict Commissioner
- 1964 โRose to the rank of a provincial administrator
- 1965 โBecame a Provincial Commissioner
- 1979 โStarted working as chief secretary in the Civil Service
- 1987 โRetired as the last chief secretary office holder
Determination drove Simeon Nyachae into working restlessly throughout his life
Simeon Nyachae political profile
The wealthy Kisii leader worked closely with the government throughout his professional career.
Turning heads to politics would forever change the fate of the Simeon Nyachae family.
- 1992 โBecame an official KANU member and lasted until 2000
- 1992 โ Became Nyaribari Chache Member of Parliament for one term ending 1997
- 1998 โAgriculture Cabinet Minister and later Minister of Finance
- 1999 โ Disagreed with Moi and resigned from the cabinet position
- 2002 โFord People Party presidential aspirant
- 2004 โMinister for Energy in Kibaki’s Government
- 2006 โBecame the Roads and Public Works minister
- 2007 โAspirant MP Nyaribari Chache Constituency
While Simeon Nyachae failed in the 2002 general elections, he entered parliament with a strong team of 14 Ford People MPs.
Surprisingly, the Waki Report named Simeon Nyachae as one of the masterminds of the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence.
Simeon Nyachae’s family tree
The renowned Nyachae comes from a polygamous home. He was the favourite son of his late father and powerful colonial chief, Musa Nyandusi.
Nyachae’s outgoing and talkative nature explains why Chief Nyandusi preferred him to his less outgoing elder brother Chief James Oiruria who died in 2007.
Nyachaeโs father Musa Nyandusi
The late Nyandusi was an influential leader and a powerful spokesperson of the Kisii people in the early years.
He enjoyed a brotherly relationship with President Jomo Kenyatta as well as the colonial masters.
The British government awarded Chief Musa Nyandusi, Service to the Crown medal.
Hiding Mzee Jomo Kenyatta from the colonial masters in his Kisii home united the two noble families.
Chief Musa Nyandusi profile also reveals that he was a polygamous man with 15 wives. He even owned a school for his more than 100 children.
Elsewhere, Nyachaeโs great-grandfather Onyancha Oando succumbed to Cancer in 1970. One of his wives died in 2009 at the age of 94 years.
List of Simeon Nyachae wives
The late Nyachae was a polygamous man with several wives and children
Some of his known wives are as follows.
1. Grace Wamuyu Nyachae
Grace Wamuyu Nyachae is the most popular of Nyachae’s six wives. She is a former State House secretary from Kenyatta’s reign.
Nyachae met the 19-year-old beauty when she was serving as a Provincial Commissioner in Nyeri.
About this time, Wamuyu had received a transfer from State House to Nyeri.
2. Paulina Bosibori Nyachae
James Oiruria and Nyachae are sons of Chief Nyandusi and his fifth wife, Paulina Bosibori.
She allegedly had a good grounding in the Seventh Day Adventist Day faith.
3. Esther Kerubo Nyachae
Esther is among the least known spouses to Simeon Nyachae.
Unfortunately, Esther Kerubo died on August 30, 2016.
Simeon Nyachae children
The polygamous family of six known wives has raised several siblings.
Simeon Nyachae’s children include the family spokesman Charles Nyachae who doubles as a jurist.
- Charles Nyachae โeldest son
- Michael Nyachae โlawyer
- Leon Nyandusi โEngland, Architect
- Moses Nyandusi โEngland, Accountant
- Lee Nyachae โLee Construction, Engineer
- Joseph Nyandusi โWest Virginia University, Lecturer
Other siblings include Esther, Eric, Kenneth Angela, Pauline, Judy, and Wanjiku Nyachae.
Some of Simeon Nyachae sons and daughters live in Kenya, while the rest live and work abroad.
Simeon Nyachae death
The ex-presidential aspirant Simeon Nyachae died on February 1, 2021, barely ten days after his death rumors.
He died from an illness he has been battling for years. Nyachae’s ill health condition went public in 2018 following an accidental trip.
Family members took him to Nairobi Hospital and later airlifted him to London.
Upon his demise, friends and family members flocked at Maxwell SDA Church to eulogize.
The first wife Grace Wamuyu is among those who attended Nyachaeโs Mass ahead of his funeral on Monday, February 15, 2021.
Musa Nyandusi wealth and influence
Nyaandusi shocked locals in 1943 when he acquired the expensive Fordson and Chevrolet Sedan into his motor cars fleet.
Besides, he owned “Chitinga Chia Musa” flour mill businesses, which graced his reputation further.
Nyachae would become an influential Kenyan tycoon through farming, real estate, banking, and politics.
Simeon Nyachae biography highlights the influence of Chief Onyancha Oando and his son Senior Chief Musa Nyandusi passed down to the family of Simeon Nyachae.
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