Strict man who loved afternoon naps and family

• A fast food restaurant in one of Nairobi’s busy streets is named after the late minister and his wife Josephine

Customers at the John and Jos restaurant munch their tasty chips with slaps of spicy vegetable without paying much attention to each other.

This tiny busy spot along the city’s Harambee Avenue has been serving French fries since the early 90s mostly to civil servants and bankers working along the street.

Cinema goers from the then Kenya Cinema would remember flocking to the spot known for chips and kachumbari (vegetable salad).

The popular restaurant in the minister’s Cargen House signified the bond between the man and his wife Josephine Michuki.

In fact, the hotel is an acronym of the first names of the two, John and Josephine (John and Jos).

And after his death, it will remain as a tribute to Mr Michuki who, away from politics, was a dedicated family man.

This is the place where Mrs Michuki spent most of her time while the husband and Kangema MP was pursuing his political career which saw him rise to a Cabinet minister and one of President Kibaki’s most trusted political lieutenants.

Mrs Michuki is remembered for her public apology after a camera caught her husband wearing a torn pair of socks.

But probably unsaid to many is that despite owning one of the most expensive hotels, Mr Michuki was always home before 8pm to have dinner with his wife, a habit he observed throughout his marriage life.

Born to a colonial chief and educated in Britain, Mr Michuki was celebrated for his strong work ethic and the mix of both British mannerisms and that of a Kikuyu traditionalist.

Journalists would lose count of the number of times the minister would deploy idiom and proverbs from his Kikuyu community to make his points, even when explaining complex subjects such as Kenya’s response to global warming.

A civil servant who has worked under him said Mr Michuki took a 30-minute siesta and always put a bed in his private offices for that.

“He is impatient with people who don't respect time and procedure but is fatherly and very kind ,” said a senior civil servant who sought anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the media.

President Kibaki’s son, Jimmy spoke of the long relationship between the two families, describing the minister as a gentleman of unparalleled patriotism.

“He was family friend, mentor and role model to many young men and women .”

Heritage minister William ole Ntimama said Mr Michuki was a great man who spoke the truth without fear while Justice minister Mutula Kilonzo described Mr Michuki as an exceptional minister.

Mr Michuki is a father of six, three boys and a similar number of girls, one of them married to former Cabinet minister Mutahi Kagwe.