Simeon Nyachae would as well have succeeded President Moi in 2002. But Raila Odinga stopped his sure bet to State House.
During a breakfast meeting held at Serena in October 2002, the then united opposition; comprising of Raila Odinga, George Saitoti, Stephen Kalonzo, and Moody Awori passed a motion to field Nyachae against Uhuru Kenyatta, the Moi project.
Between Serena and Uhuru Park..a,distance of 50 metres, Raila changed his mind and endorsed Mwai Kibaki.
Nyachae was livid.
He called Raila names and vowed to go it alone…hoping to defeat both Kibaki and Uhuru.
As fate would have it, only the Omugisii community voted him and his people.
By the time he died, Nyachae had not made up with Raila over the snub. They remain political enemies to his grave.
Nyachae is arguably Kisii’s most famous son.
He cut his teeth as a Jomo Kenyatta provincial administrator, rising to the powerful position of Central Provincial Commissioner.
When Jomo died in 1978, Moi elevated him to be his Head of Civil Service. The promotion was a calculated political move to clip Kikuyus position in Government.
But Moi failed to reckon than Nyachae was married to a Nyeri girl….and therefore a respected son in law. He used the vantage position to airlift Kisiis to various Universities abroad, mainly India.
When Kibaki sacked Raila and Lalonzo in 2005, Nyachae was invited to form a coalition with Kibaki. The likes of Professor Bitange Ndemo were beneficiaries to this arrangement. So were other Kisii professionals.
Nyachae would have easily ruled Kenya, but for the low numerical strength of his Kisii Community.
He established a countrywide network that was chaired by David Musila, the former Kitui Senator and a very close friend.
But the deep state cut him to political size to pave way for Kibaki, Uhuru, Raila and other political luminaries.
RIP Nyachae.
