The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Kirinyaga County is mourning the loss of its first Deputy Governor, Julius Muthike Njiri, who served in the county’s inaugural administration between 2013 and 2017.
Governor Anne Waiguru confirmed his passing on her official X account Tuesday evening, describing him as a leader committed to “service, knowledge, and enterprise.” She conveyed condolences to his family, colleagues, and the many lives he impacted.
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Njiri came into office on a TNA ticket alongside Governor Joseph Ndathi during the 2013 elections that ushered in devolved governance. His time in office was marked by both contributions and friction, as he often complained of being sidelined.
In 2015, he publicly accused Ndathi of denying him official duties, saying he spent long periods idle and instead focused on donor-funded drainage projects in Kimbimbi and Ngurubani. He further claimed he was denied benefits such as transport and fuel allowances, and that his official vehicle had been withdrawn—allegations that Ndathi dismissed.
The frosty relationship between the two leaders overshadowed much of the county’s first government, with Njiri later accusing his boss of deliberately weakening him politically ahead of the 2017 election.
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Still, Njiri remains a key figure in Kirinyaga’s political history, remembered as one of the pioneers who laid the foundation for devolved governance. He went on to gain national visibility after being shortlisted by the Public Service Commission for the chairmanship of the Universal Service Advisory Council.
An academic achiever, Njiri earned a PhD in Business Administration from Miramar California University in 2022, a Global MBA from USIU in 2018, a Global Executive MBA from USIU in 2011, and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Nairobi in 2008.
While little is publicly known about his private life, Njiri’s passing closes the chapter on one of Kirinyaga’s trailblazing leaders, whose contributions during the county’s formative years under devolution remain etched in its political journey.
