Businessman Jimi Wangiji's father, Maina Wanjigi, has died.
According to reliable reports on Friday, June 28, Maina passed away at the Nairobi Hospital at the age of 92.
The deceased burst into the public limelight after Kenya's first president, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, appointed him Director of Settlement of the Million Acre Settlement Scheme.
Maina later joined active politics in 1969 to serve as a Member of Parliament for Kamukunji Constituency through a by-election after Tom Mboya was assassinated.
He also served in various ministerial positions during the late retired President Daniel Arap Moi's tenure.
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Maina is remembered for founding and expanding the extensive open-air Gikomba Market in his Kamukunji Constituency. He also aided in the establishment of the jua kali informal business sector in Shauri Moyo
During a speech in Parliament in 1973, Maina advocated for free primary school education in the country before it was realised by the late president Mwai Kibaki in 2003, 30 years later.
He lost his parliamentary seat in 1979 to Nicholas Gor, who was then the former chairman of the Luo Union in Nairobi.
President Moi appointed him chairman of Kenya Airways in the same year before appointing him Minister for Tourism and Wildlife in 1983.
Maina recaptured his parliamentary seat in 1983. He was later moved to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing before being moved to the Ministry of Cooperative Development in another Cabinet reshuffle.
Co-operative Bank was launched during his tenure in the Ministry of Cooperative Development.
He was later moved to the Ministry of Agriculture. Maina was expelled from the ruling KANU party in 1990 during the clamour for multi-party politics.
He was later arrested and detained at the Lang'ata Police Station before being arraigned. He was later released after no charges were brought against him.
Maina joined the opposition through Kenneth Matiba’s FORD-Asili party in an attempt to dethrone KANU in the 1992 general elections but was unsuccessful.
The former minister later took over the Kenya National Congress party in another attempt to re-establish himself and defeat KANU, but failed again.
He unsuccessfully vied for the Kamukunji MP seat before he moved to his home in Mathioya Constituency to vie for the parliamentary seat. He also lost in the polls and subsequently bowed out of politics.
