Emeka-Mayaka Gekara 

Kisii and Nyamira counties are home to some of the country’s high profile public servants, leading professionals and politicians.

 The most notable include:

Chief Justice David Maraga.

The staunch Seventh Day Adventist was thrust into the limelight when he was appointed as the Chief Justice though he had been a judge since 2003. 

The outgoing CJ  will go down in history as not only nullifying a presidential election,  but also advising the President to dissolve Parliament.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i: Dreaded and loved in equal measure, the former lecturer has risen to become one of the most powerful and influential Cabinet Secretaries in President Uhuru’s administration. 

Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o:  Before her appointment late last year, she was a director of Finance and Administration at the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

She has promised strict budget controls to ensure prudent spending of public funds and also help manage the ogre of pending bills. She has also vowed to ensure counties sustain their revenue inflows by exploiting more tax sources.

Prof Sam Ongeri, Kisii Senator

Kenya’s oldest Senator,  Prof Ongeri chairs the powerful Senate County Public Accounts and Investment Committee.  

The committee oversights the expenditure of billions of shillings given to counties under the Division of Revenue law. He is said to be eyeing the Kisii governorship  in the next election. 

Transport  Chief Administrative  Secretary Chris Obure:  Obure has served as Senator and Cabinet minister in various portifolios both in the Moi and Kibaki governments. 

Solicitor General Ken Ogeto: Ogeto was President Uhuru’s lawyer at the International Criminal Court at The Hague ahead of his appointment. 

he Solicitor General is the head bureaucrat in the Office of the Attorney General.

National Land Commission chairman Gershom Otachi

The soft-spoken lawyer horned his skills at the International Tribunal for Rwanda where he argued cases related to the 1994 genocide. He was also President Uhuru’s counsel at the ICC.

Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache:  A soft-spoken bureaucrat who has not been in the public limelight until the coronavirus pandemic. She recently found herself in the deep end over procurement issues at the ministry.

Joshua  Oigara: The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Commercial Bank.

He was appointed in November 2012  aged 37, making him the youngest CEO of a publicly traded bank at the securities market.

Charles Nyachae:  A former chairperson of the Commission on implementation of the Constitution, the lawyer is today a judge at the East Africa Court of Justice in Arusha, Tanzania. 

Bishop George Obanyi: A respected cleric, he took over from Philip Sulumeti as the Catholic Bishop of Kakamega Diocese. He was previously the Vicar general in the Kisii diocese. 

Central Bank of Kenya board chairman Mohamed Nyaoga: One of the countrty’s wealthiest and highly connected commercial lawyers. He runs a law firm with former Attorney General Githu Muigai.

Simeon Nyachae:  Former powerful Cabinet minister and Head of Public Service, Nyachae is a wealthy and non-nonsense politician. He ran for the Presidency on a Ford People party ticket in 2002.

George Anyona:  The firebrand politician was among the leading lights in the fight for multi-party democracy.

He founded the Kenya Social Congress party and unsuccessfully contested the Presidency in 1992 multi-party elections.

Senior Counsel and Nyamira Senator Okong’o O’mogeni: Former chairman of the Law Society of Kenya. He chaired the Anti-Corruption board. 

  Wilkista Onsando,  former Maendeleo ya Wanawake National chairperson.

  Catherine Nyamato, former Nominated MP.

  Janet Ong’era, former Nominated Senator and current Kisii Woman Rep

  Prof Bitange Ndemo—former Information ministry Permanent Secretary who played a central role in laying of the fibre optic that is credited for a digital revolution in the country.

  Athletics queen Hellen Obiri

  Radio guru Obachi Machoka

  Athletics legend  Nyantika Mayioro

  Harambee Stars legend Henry Motego.

  Walter Mong’are,  celebrated comedian