Where fallen tycoon Jeremiah Kiereni’s fierce political power lay

 

The former head of civil service Jeremiah Kiereni who was a city tycoon has passed away at the age of 90. According to sources close to his family, Kiereni passed away at his home last evening.

Mr Kiereini was among the class of Kenya’s leaders who progressively and eventually  occupied top positions in the civil service, business elite, and political life.

This set, which included Kenneth Matiba, Charles Njonjo, John Michuki, Simeon Nyachae and many others, have settled into their positions as the ‘old money’ in Kenya, which is now becoming multi-generational, and which gives Kenyan capitalism some of its more interesting characteristics.

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The businessman had interests in real estate, insurance, coffee farming and the hotel industry.

He was also a former CMC Motors chairman, a position that has more recently haunted him over allegations of operating an illegal offshore account.

Mr Kiereini walked the Kenya corporate scene like a colossus since he quit as Chief Secretary to the Moi regime in 1984. Widely viewed as one of Kenya’s oligarchs, his fortunes appeared to be headed south since the vicious boardroom war that broke out at CMC where he had been accused of stashing the company’s money in secret foreign accounts.

 

 

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Younger readers, or those whose memories are beginning to fade, may only remember him for his board roles at CMC Motors (the vehicle distributor) and EABL (the drinks company).

He served both as chairman, but this only came after a near 30-year career in the civil service, at the end of which he served as its boss.

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He took over from Kariithi and was the Chief Secretary, Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet up to 1984 when he retired. Kiereini’s power lay in being the closest Kikuyu to President Moi at a time when Nyayo was cracking his whip on the Mt Kenya mafia.

Mr Kiereini occupied an interesting place in the Kenyan pantheon. He has been a prominent presence in Kenya’s public and business life, yet is not quite part of the first-tier cohort occupied by such legendary names as Njonjo, Moi, Nyachae and Koinange.

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