Former cabinet minister Maina Wanhigi, the father of Jimmy Wanjigi, passed away at Nairobi Hospital at the age of 92 while receiving treatment.
Maina Wanjigi was the Minister for Agriculture, Public Works, and Tourism.
He also received the Elder of the Golden Heart of Kenya award conferred to statesmen.
During his tenure, Wanjigi developed the expansive open-air Gikomba Market in Kamukunji Constituency and was instrumental in establishing the jua kali business sector in Shauri Moyo.
As the Director of Settlement during President Jomo Kenyatta’s era, Maina was involved in settling thousands of landless citizens.
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He joined active politics in November 1969 by-elections in Kamukunji, which was occasioned by Tom Mboya’s assassination.
He also served in former president Daniel Moi’s regime.
In 1979, he was appointed chairman of Kenya Airways before receiving a cabinet position as Minister for Tourism and Wildlife four years later.
In 1990, he was expelled from the then-ruling party KANU for advocating for multi-party politics.
Following his exit from politics, he held the position of director of Carbacid Investment for 48 years before exiting in 2018.
