Joseph Nyagah

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Joseph "Joe" Nyagah (born January 5, 1948 in Kiamuringa, Embu District), is a Kenyan businessman and politician. He the first born son to Jeremiah and Eunice Nyagah. His earliest years were spent attending Kiamuringa Primary School, a 10 km round trip by foot from the family home in the heart of what is now Mbeere District. These early years of his life were marked by the upheavals of The Emergency, and his own father's increasing involvement in the struggle for independence, culminating in a seat upon the Legislative Council in 1957. The following years were tumultuous for the entire nation. Joe remembers well attending the official launch of KANU in Kiambu in 1960, as well as the heady scenes in Nairobi at midnight on the 12th of December 1963. Joe joined the first post-independence class at the prestigious Alliance High School, again following his father's footsteps, in 1964. At Alliance some of his contemporaries included Prof. Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, Prof. Oketh Ogendo and Noah Katana Ngala.

Joe has six siblings who follow him; Dr. Mary Khimulu (Kenya's Permanent Representative to UNESCO in Paris), Hon. Norman Nyagah (M.P. for Kamukunji, Government Chief Whip), Zachariah Nyagah (Dearly Departed), Nahashon Nyagah (Former Governor of The Central Bank), Njeru Nyagah and Rachel Mugo.

From Alliance Joe joined the University of Nairobi (1970) where he studied Economics and Political Science. After graduation in 1973 he worked briefly for the First National Bank of Chicago in Nairobi before being posted to the bank's headquarters in Chicago itself where he both worked and took and M.B.A. in Finance and Management from Northwestern's Kellog Business School. Whilst in Chicago Joe married Margaret, who was to give him two sons, Mwaniki (born 1977) and Norman (born 1980). Joe returned to Kenya in 1977 and continued to work for the bank until 1983, by which time he was based in London as Assistant Vice President (Trade Finance -Africa.)

Between October 1983 and September 1987 Joe was Kenya's Ambassador to The Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union, based in Brussels. During this time he worked closely with the various organs of European government, including the Commission, the Parliament and the European Investment Bank, as well as developing Bi-Lateral relations with both Belgium and Luxembourg. He also gained valuable experience participating in Multi-lateral trade talks between the ACP (Afro-Caribbean-Pacific Nations) and the EU, the so-called Lome Convention.

From October 1987 Joe was Managing Director of Kenya Airways. The company he found was over-staffed, inefficient and unpopular. During his time at the helm he went a long way towards turning the company around, laying the foundation for the Pan-African success that it has subsequently become. Probably the hardest part of this was the re-trenching of 960 employees, a thankless task, but one which was nonetheless essential to the future survival of the airline. Whilst at Kenya Airways Joe served as President and Secretary General of the African Association of Airlines as well as, in 1991, becoming the first ever African to head IATA, the International Air Transport Association.

Between 1991 and 1997 Joe joined millions of other Kenyans in the field of private business, running various operations including; Air East Africa, a regional cargo operator, Midland Millers, a mid-sized maize miller based in Kirinyaga, and Kaymark, a trading venture.

Joe stood for and won the Gachoka Parliamentary seat in December 1997, defending it successfully in 2002. Under the KANU government he served variously as Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Minister for Lands and Settlement and Minister of State in the Office of the President. Under the NARC government he has served as both the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and The Assistant Minister for East African and Regional Co-operation. In November 2005 he chose to decline an official position with the government so as to concentrate on developmental issues at the constituency level.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

1974 – 1977:- Northwestern University, Illinois, USA, Kellogg School of Management, MBA – Finance & Management

1970 – 1973:- University of Nairobi, BA Hons - Economics & Political Science

1964 – 1969:- Alliance High School, Kenya (‘O’ & ‘A’ Levels)

WORK EXPERIENCE

A) POLITICS

1998 (Jan) to dateMember of Parliament Gachoka Constituency

1998(Jan) – 1999 (Aug) Minister for Information & Broadcasting

1999(Sept) – 2001 (Oct) Minister for Lands & Settlement

2001(Oct) – 2002 (Nov) Minister of State - Office of the President in-charge of Public Service

2003(Jun) – 2004 (Jun) Assistant Minster, Ministry of Agriculture

2004(Jun) – 2005(Nov) Assistant Minister, Ministry of East African & Regional Cooperation

B) PRIVATE BUSINESS

1991 – 1997 Executive Chairman, Kaymark Group of Companies, Nairobi

1993 – 1996 Chairman, Air East Africa (Cargo Airline)

1991 – 1998 Chairman, Midland Millers (Family owned maize milling operation)

C) AIRLINE

1987(Sept) – 1991(Apr) Managing Director & CEO, Kenya Airways

1987(Sept) – 1988(Mar) President, Africa Airlines Association (AFRAA)

1988 – 1990 Acting Secretary General AFRAA

1989 – 1991 President, GETS Marketing Company, Atlanta Georgia, USA (A computerised reservation system company owned by some IATA airlines)

President International Air Transport Association (IATA) Geneva

D) DIPLOMATIC

1983(Oct) – 1987(Sept) Ambassador Brussels, Belgium (EU, Belgium & Luxembourg) Actively involved in Lome III Convention Negotiations between EU and ACP Worked closely with: European Investment Bank European Parliament European Commission Chaired several ACP/EU committees in addition to bilateral work with Belgium and Luxembourg

E) BANKING

1973 – 1983 The First National Bank of Chicago (Nairobi, Chicago, London) Assistant Vice President (1983) Trade Finance (Africa) – London Assistant General Manager Nairobi (This is now part of J P Morgan Chase Bank)

F) OTHER ACTIVITIES

1982 – 1983 Treasurer, Kenya Institute of Bankers

1991 Member of Kenya External Trade Authority (KETA) & Chairman of its Transport Committee

1987 – 1991 Director African Tours & Hotels Ltd (ATHL) (A hotel owning, management and safari company)

1995 – 1997 Chairman St. Paul’s Theological College, Limuru Endowment Committee (Trains church clergy to degree level)

1996 to date Chairman St. Luke’s School for the Deaf, Embu

2005/2006 Chairman, National Parliamentary Prayer Group (Organises annual National Breakfast Prayers)

Member Christian – Muslim Consultative Forum (Ensures cordial relations between religious communities)