Former Cabinet Minister Nahashon Kanyi dies
Former MP and Cabinet minister Nahashon Kanyi Waithaka. He died on July 19, 2017 aged 81. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Kanu-era minister and first MP for Tetu constituency Nahashon Kanyi Waithaka is dead.
His daughter Wamuyu Mahinda Kanyi confirmed that her father was pronounced dead at Karen Hospital in Nairobi on Wednesday night.
“He has been unwell and we had talked last night but he developed a bad cold. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Karen Hospital,” said Ms Wamuyu.
Mr Waithaka was 81 years old and had been ailing.
One of his two wives, Anne Nyambura Kanyi, said he had back problems but developed a severe cold last night.
She said one of the people attending to him at home went to check on him but found him unconscious and he was rushed to hospital.
His body was taken to the Kenyatta National Hospital mortuary and later moved to Lee Funeral Home.
Mr Kanyi started his political career as a councillor in Nyeri before becoming the first mayor of Nyeri town around 1972.
In 1988, he was elected Kanu MP for Tetu and served in President Daniel arap Moi’s government as information and broadcasting minister. He was later moved to the ministry of internal security, where he served until 1992.
He is survived by two wives, Agnes Gathoni Kanyi and Anne Nyambura. Anne Nyambura is also vying for the Tetu parliamentary seat as an independent candidate.
