Will Lee secure seat for Nakuru on national table, where two Cabinet Secretaries failed?

It has now been a month since the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, Lee Kinyanjui took office. This makes him the third individual to be appointed from Nakuru to serve in the Kenya Kwanza regime as a cabinet secretary.

It all started with the nomination of Zachary Njeru, most people in Nakuru knew very little about him. It was when Mtaa Wangu highlighted that he was among the 21 cabinet secretaries affected by the reshuffle that many learnt of him.

At the time, Hezron Manyara, a Nakuru resident said he supported the President’s decision to remove Njeru from Cabinet, citing that he did not help the President politically as his position was never felt in the county.

“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 then.

Afterwards, the nomination of Dr. Margaret Ndung’u to the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) docket reduced the chances of Zachary Njeru from making a comeback.

She was in the same boat as her fellow Nakuru resident, with not so many people knowing who she was.

It was actually after the Governor, Susan Kihika posted a congratulatory message on her social media platform, that many came to know she was a Nakuru resident.

“Nakuru County is happy, and we continue to thank the President” said the Governor following the nomination of Dr. Ndung’u.

She served in the docket for the better part of five months, before the country heard news of another cabinet reshuffle.  

When the news of the nomination of Lee Kinyanjui to the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry broke, many residents of Nakuru were seemingly filled with pride as this was a sign of Nakuru finally getting recognized on the national stage.

Among the first people to recognize and celebrate his nomination was Susan Kihika, who in her Facebook post called it ‘a proud moment for Nakuru’.

“I am confident that you will utilize your networks and expertise to champion growth and investment in our nation. Wishing you every success as you take on this transformative role in service to our great country” read part of the post.

Some would term the appointment of Lee Kinyanjui as a dream come true of sorts for the previous governor.

All through his campaigns in 2022, Kinyanjui championed for Nakuru to get a piece of the national cake so much, that he formed his own party, Ubuntu People’s Forum (UPF).

This he saw as a means of securing a seat on the negotiating table when it came to discussing and bargaining for ministries and permanent secretary positions.

At the time, he envisioned the numerous benefits that Nakuru would reap when some of its sons and daughters were given these very important roles and responsibilities.

Now, Kinyanjui finds himself in the exact position he always championed for.

A month down the line, Nakuru residents are still waiting eagerly for what the new CS will bring to them.

We spoke to Pamela Njoki, a fruit vendor. She says she was very happy to hear of Kinyanjui’s appointment being a supporter of the former Nakuru Governor.

“We hope to feel the impact of his docket here in Nakuru. In the past we have had two other Cabinet Secretaries whose impact was not really felt. I know trade is a devolved function but if he could use his influence to help us with the issue of stalls that is a thorn to the flesh of many traders in some parts of the city center, we would really appreciate it” she says.

Pamela’s sentiments are shared by most of the Nakuru residents as John Kiharu a Naivasha resident also says that he hopes under his tenure, his impact will be felt when it comes to the Naivasha Special Economic Zone.

The comment section on some of his Facebook posts also reflect the high expectation the residents have for the new CS Trade.

Ng’ang’a Paulo says, “Kindly sir start with Nakuru County all those industries that were brought down during earlier governments try reverting them so that Nakuru can go back to its glory”.  

Peter Simon says, “Please remember Naivasha special economic zone in Mai Mahiu. It can rejuvenate the area economically if well marketed to investors

Only time will tell what the Cabinet secretary has in store for Nakuru residents.