Down Memory lane

By James Macharia

James Nyamweya is one of the pioneering politicians, hailing from Kisii County and worked in the tenures of Kenya’s first and second presidents.

James Nyamweya was born in December 28, 1927 in Kisii.

Nyamweya first came in limelight after the 1963 general elections, when Kisii benefitted from increased number of constituencies, Nyaribari being one of them.

This is after Electoral Boundaries Commission (EBC) redrew the boundaries and some region’s got further divided. Nyamweya made a thrilling debut in politics where he won the seat of Member of Parliament for Nyaribari constituency (now disestablished).

Nyamweya again won the KANU seat which he retained for 16 years.

James Nyamweya was then appointed by President Kenyatta to serve in the Cabinet as the Assistant Minister for Constitutional Affairs. Here, he served under the leadership of his great friend and confidant Tom Mboya who headed the docket.

He did not go long after again he was appointed by Kenyatta as Minister of State in charge of External Affairs.

Nyamweya rode along that wave of momentum politically and rarely was he seen rub shoulders with President Kenyatta.

Infact,he once served as a leader of Government Business in parliament while still serving as a minister, a task that was supposed to be performed by the Vice-President.

This was rare in the Kenya’s political history and it thrust Nyamweya to greater political heights and mapped him on the national politics scale.

After his race with KANU, he joined the Democratic Party of Kenya and till his death, Nyamweya was a member of the party.

He died in September 25, 1995 in Matutu, Kisii aged 68 years.