Here are 10 things you didn’t know about James Nyoro,the new Kiambu Governor:
- A graduate of Agricultural Economics from the University of Nairobi, the career analyst furthered his studies at London’s Wye College.
- James Nyoro was once a Senior Advisor to the Presidency in matters Food Security, Water and Climate Change. He was based at DP William Ruto’s office and as at the time of publishing this article, his profile was still on the website. According to the Daily Nation, he left the position citing ‘frustration over lack of professionalism.’ Before that role, he had served as the MD of the Rockefeller Foundation for Africa region from November 2008 to August 2012.
- Other top roles include advisor to the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. Nyoro has also served as Country and Policy Advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington.
- According to the Standard newspaper, former Governor William Kabogo once described Nyoro as a passing cloud after he unsuccessfully vied for the Kiambu gubernatorial seat in 2013.
- He went on to forge an impressive career, including serving as the Principal Analyst at Tegemeo Institute, a policy think-tank affiliated to Egerton University, for almost 20 years. While there, he was in charge of policy research and advocacy in agricultural and rural development.
- The technocrat’s first shot at the Kiambu gubernatorial seat was in 2013 when he challenged former Governor William Kabogo but lost. Mr Kabogo garnered 487,631 votes against Dr Nyoro’s 241,658.
- Dr Nyoro, together with David Gakuyo, John Mugwe and Aquiline Njoko, formed a political party, United for Kiambu, to remove then incumbent governor, William Kabogo. Nyoro was the party’s gubernatorial contestant but decided, after much deliberation with his co-founders, to cede his position to Jubilee’s Ferdinand Waititu who was more popular at the grassroots level.
- The duo formed a powerful ”political tsunami” that sent Kabogo packing. Dr Nyoro was officially sworn in as the Deputy Governor of Kiambu.
- It wasn’t all rosy for Dr Nyoro either. He faced hard times in the hands of Kiambu MCAs loyal to the embattled Waititu, who sought to impeach him just a few days after “Baba Yao” was impeached. However, he survived as their threats never materialized.
- Several months into their (Waititu and Nyoro) election, their rivalry started to play out. The two leaders at one point clashed at a church in Kiambu in the presence of Deputy President William Ruto.