President Kenyatta, Raila eulogise late Governor Gachagua

President Uhuru and Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga on Friday led Kenyans in eulogising the late Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua.

President Kenyatta said he learnt of the death of the governor with great sorrow following his long and hard fought battle with cancer.

“My family and I send our deepest condolences and sympathies to his wife, Margaret, his children, his siblings and family and his Nyeri constituents. Words cannot convey the magnitude of this loss. Governor Gachagua was a great leader, an action-oriented man who served the people of Nyeri with diligence.” The President said.

Development-minded leader

He hailed Gachagua as an accomplished leader and a pioneer in terms of infrastructural development.

He praised the governor for overseeing the construction of over 1000 km of gravel in Nyeri, which saw many areas, previously inaccessible during the rainy season, opened up.

The President said that under Gachagua’s tenure, citizens of Nyeri were finally able to conduct business late into the night thanks to his efforts to improve street lighting in trading centers.

The governor also registered progress in the area of education: initiating a bursary fund that now benefits 10,000 secondary students a year.

Cordial working relations

President Kenyatta said he had the distinct privilege of working alongside Governor Gachagua, who served as Chairman of the Council of Governors’ Agricultural Committee, to implement coffee reforms and ensure better prices for coffee farmers in Nyeri and across the country and will forever be grateful for his valiant efforts and support in the area.

“As we mourn the loss of a noble and dedicated public servant, we pay tribute to his legacy which, I hope, will be carried on for generations to come. We honour his life, his achievements, and the example which he has left with us,” Kenyatta said.

National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga expressed his condolences to the family, friends and the people of Nyeri County following the death of Gachagua.

"I have very fond memories of the late governor, having worked with him in and out of government in the past. I knew him as a smart politician with the humility, strength and determination to serve his people and may God grant peace and strength to his family to enable them cope with the loss," Raila said.