How former Lands CS Zachary Njeru failed to meet the expectations of Nakuru residents

President William Ruto's appointment of Zachary Njeru to the cabinet came as a surprise to many Nakuru residents who knew little about him.

On the other hand, his sacking from the Cabinet along with 21 others was welcomed by Nakuru County residents who felt it was necessary despite having a full cabinet minister for the first time in decades.

Following President Ruto's announcement to dissolve the Cabinet, Nakuru residents reacted with approval as the majority distanced themselves from him.

When Mtaa wangu sought to understand the reasons behind their stance, it became clear that the former CS had failed to use the position to raise his political profile and establish himself in the region's political arena.

Some of those interviewed argued that as CS, Mr Njeru did little to help the community in Nakuru.

Mr Hezron Manyara, who welcomed the President's decision, said Mr Njeru did not help the President politically as his position was never felt in the county.

According to Mr Manyara, Mr Njeru isolated himself from the people when he was appointed CS and therefore the people of Nakuru cannot share the pain of his sacking.

"Let us tell the truth, Mr Njeru went to Cabinet alone and came back alone. His position has not benefited us in any way as residents of Nakuru," said Mr Manyara.

The resident noted that Mr Njeru could not point to any water project he had implemented for the people of Nakuru, nor any land dispute he had helped resolve during his tenure as CS for Lands or Water.

Another resident who has worked closely with Mr Njeru said he has not prioritised improving his approval ratings among county residents, despite knowing that the majority do not know him.
He noted that since his appointment, the CS had never held a homecoming ceremony to make his presence known.

"Very few people knew him when he was appointed and even at the time of his dismissal, most Nakuru residents have no idea who he is. His presence was never felt and he did nothing to change the situation," said the resident.

He explained how Mr Njeru got lucky with the appointment despite there being many qualified people in Nakuru County, but ended up wasting the opportunity.

According to the resident, Mr Njeru had no such ambition to become a CS at the time of his appointment and was only eyeing a position in the county government after being sacked from a ward administrator post by the previous regime.

He was seen as one of those who had been persecuted for supporting the UDA party led by then Deputy President Dr Ruto and his loyalty was rewarded with a CS position.

Mr Njeru, 58, was born in Bondeni, Nakuru County and attended Bondeni Primary School before attending Nakuru Day Secondary School and Nyandarua High School.

He studied BSc Information Science at Moi University and enrolled for a Masters in Public Administration at Mt Kenya University in 2015.

Njeru started his working life as a sales administrator at DT Dobbie in 1995 before joining Madison Insurance as a sales executive in Eldoret between 1998 and 2000, and later joining Blue Shield as a branch manager in Meru.

He was promoted to the company's Rift Valley Regional Manager in 2003 and served until 2007.

He was a nominated councillor in Nakuru Municipal Council and served as chairman of the Finance and General Purposes Committee between 2008 and 2013. In 2010, he was elected Chairman of the Council's Public Health and AIDS Committee.

He was appointed CS for Lands, Housing and Urban Development in 2022 before being reassigned to the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation in October 2023.

Having led a quiet life in the private sector and public service, Mr Njeru has rarely participated in electoral politics, keeping his political profile low.