The Late Michuki Rugs to Riches

John Michuki's torn Sock

From Rugs to Riches

John Njoroge Michuki born December 1932  and died 21 February 2012 was a Kenyan politician and businessman who owned Real Estate and Hotel chain. He was born at Muguru village, Iyego Location, Kangema Division in Murang’a District. Educated in Kenya and abroad. Michuki emerged as one of the prominent and long-serving civil servants and politicians as well as a businessman in Kenya. Michuki served Kenya in various capacities, including Permanent Secretary in the Finance Ministry, Chairman of the Kenya Commercial Bank, Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister. He was serving his 4th five-year term as a Member of Parliament for Kangema Constituency 

 John Michuki with Police Commissioner Hussein Ali (left) where he the infamous ‘Shoot-to-kill’ order against the out-lawed Mungiki sect, which he is alleged to have directed the police while he served as the Minister for internal security

The Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club
Michuki's Successes
In 1971, he was awarded the Fellow of International Bankers Association from Washington for his exemplary stewardship of the Ministry of Finance and later the Kenya Commercial Bank.


Michuki Rules

Michuki’s legacy as the Minister for Transport and Communications was the famous "Michuki Rules" aimed at restoring order in public transport, especially the chaotic Matatu sector. The rules which came into effect in February 2004 required all public and buses to install speed governors, passenger safety belts, operate in clearly defined routes, to carry a specified number of passengers and their drivers and conductors to be disciplined and to have a clean security record.

Minister of Environment

Appointed on 13 April 2008 as Minister for the Environment and Mineral Resources in the Grand Coalition Cabinet

Restoring Kenya Water tower 
As Minister for Environment and Mineral Resources, has initiated diverse programmes and projects among them being the Nairobi River's Rehabilitation and Restoration Programme, the reclamation of the Kenya's five water towers (the Mau Forest Complex, Mount Kenya, Aberdare Range, Mount Elgon and Cherangany Hills). 


UNEP Award
He was honoured with a UNEP Award for his clean-up of the Nairobi River and the city. Michuki is the force behind the enactment of a new mining act to regulate environmental degradation and mining. He also took key leadership role in addressing Africa's position towards the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (December 2009) and served as the Co-Chair of International Environmental Governance (IEG). 


South Africa
Michuki led the Kenya delegation to the Durban Environmental Conference in South Africa on 28 November-9 December 2011 where he stated Kenya's determination to reduce the menace of global warming and called on the world's wealthy nations to assist the poor ones to mitigate the devastation of climate change. 

The Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club is a Kenyan 5 star hotel resort with a cluster of impressive Victorian style buildings with 130 deluxe rooms comprising twins, doubles, studio suites and cottages all overlooking our spectacular 18-hole championship golf course, are tastefully decorated and have five-star amenities.

Michuki's Death

Michuki died at the age of 79 on 21 February 2012, reportedly of a heart attack. Prior to his demise, Michuki had traveled to the United Kingdom for treatment in December 2011, returning to Kenya on 16 February. Two days after his return from London, he fell ill and was rushed to the intensive care unit of Aga Khan University Hospital's Heart and Cancer Centre in Nairobi, where he died.