Parliament’s tribute to the late Michuki

It is with shock and disbelief that we have learnt of the passing on of the Hon John Njoroge Michuki, EGH, MP the Minister for Environment and Mineral Resources last night at Aga Khan Hospital Nairobi following an illness.

The Hon John Njoroge Michuki has had an illustrious and chequered career having served both in public and private sector for most of his life.

The late member was born in 1932 at Muguru village, Iyego Location, in Kangema, Murang’a and went to Kiangunyi and Muguru Primary schools, and later proceeded to Nyeri Intermediate School and Mang’u High School for his Secondary Education.

In 1961 he joined Worcester College, a constituent College of the University of Oxford, United Kingdom where he studied Economics, Finance and Public Administration. He served as a District Assistant, District Officer and was appointed the first African District Commissioner in Nyeri District. He was later appointed Permanent Secretary, Treasury in 1965 up to 1970.

He served as the Executive Chairman of the Kenya Commercial Bank from 1970 to 1979, when he left public service to plunge into the world of politics and concentrate on business. He made his debut in the House in 1983, when he was first elected to Parliament as a Member of Parliament for Kangema Constituency. He was re-elected as Member for Kangema in 1992, and has served the people of Kangema in his capacity until this untimely death yesterday the 21st February, 2012.

In his political career, he served in various positions including being an Assistant Minister for Finance (1983 to 1988); Minister for Transport and Communications (2003 to 2005); Minister for State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security (2005 to 2007); Minister for Roads and Public Works in 2008 and subsequently Minister for Environment and Mineral Resources in the Grand Coalition Government.

As a Public servant, the late Hon John Njoroge Michuki leaves a legacy of hard work and firmness in his discharge of duties. He will be remembered for restoring sanity in the Public transport, culminating in what has been popularly referred to as ” Michuki Rules” of February, 2004, the restoration of the Nairobi River where many pessimists believed it would never be realized and a no nonsense approach to security issues.

He pioneered in the world of entrepreneurship and has been a leading light in this venture.

In Parliament, he will be remembered as a stickler to parliamentary rules and procedures and he would always rise on a point of order to seek the Chair’s intervention, whenever he believed that the provisions of the Standing Orders were being breached.

To most of his friends and admirers, the late Michuki was a beacon of hope, a level headed personality who never shied from speaking his mind and whose performance in whatever public positions bestowed upon him was beyond reproach and sterling.

The late Hon Michuki was a family man and he leaves behind his wife and children. During this time of sorrow and grief, on behalf of all Members of Parliament and on my own behalf , I send our heartfelt condolences to the family, relatives, friends and the Nation for the tragic loss of a gallant and illustrious son of Kenya, the late Hon John Njoroge Michuki. The void left behind will be difficult to fill.

May the Good Almighty God rest his Soul in eternal Peace. Amen

In our usual tradition I request all Members to rise up in their places and observe a minute of silence in honour of our departed colleague.

HON FARAH MAALIM, MP
DEPUTY SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

22nd February, 2012