John Obiero Nyagarama

Nyagarama (born in 1946), formally known as John Obiero Nyagarama, is the first and incumbent Governor of Nyamira County government, deputised by Hon. Amos Nyaribo. He is a member of the Orange Democratic Movement and was elected as the first Governor of Nyamira Government on the ODM ticket in March 2013 and subsequently retained his seat for the second term beginning August 2017.

Nyagarama was born in a remote village of Nyakemincha, Nyamira, Nyamira Countyin the year 1946 to a low income and humble background. He started his formal education in Nyakemincha Primary School inWest Mugirango Constituency where he undertook his primary school education. He walked barefoot to the school, which was a testament to his poor background, which, however, did not limit him to work hard and pass the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) Examinations enabling him to qualify to join secondary school. He pursued his secondary school education at Maseno School, where he did hisO-Level and Kisii High School where he did his A- levels. Nyagarama then joined the University of Nairobi where he pursued a Bachelors of Education|(Hons) degree in Literature.

Nyagarama is a trained, qualified and experienced teacher. Having graduated from the University of Nairobi, he started his teaching career in Nduru Boys Secondary School between 1975 and 1976. He thereafter joined Nyanshiongo Boys High School beginning 1977 to 1978 before being transferred to Menyenya High School. At Menyenya High School he was among the founding staff and he taught there for a period of four years from 1978 to 1981. He later quit teaching and joined farming, more specifically tea farming that saw him be a household name. His Passion for farming saw him join the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) as a management trainee. He would later rise ranks up to being a manager in various KTDA branches countrywide. He later joined a privately owned firm, Sotik Tea Factory, as its managing director in the period of 1991 to 1992. Nyagarama then took time off from tea farming to join Touchline Press Limited, a private publishing company, as its chief executive officer. However, this did not last long, he established a tea export company in Mombasa, Kenya in 1993. In 1994, he was elected to serve in the Kenya Tea Development Agency Board as Director representing the tea zones of Marani, in Kisii County and certain centers within Nyamira County. He has served in different portfolios, which are, as a national board member of KTDA from 1994 to 2013. He equally served as the chairman of Kenya Tea Packers Limited(KETEPA) between 1996 and 2002. Nyagarama was among the pioneer founders of the Chai Trading Company in 2011, where he served as the chairman until 2013 until his resignation to join politics.

Before 2013, Nyagarama was not a common name in the political arena. The little known Nyagarama the, however, had participated in competitive politics for the first time when he vied for the Member of Parliament seat of West Mugirango Constituency, Nyamira County in the general elections of December 2007. He was unsuccessful. He vied for the position of Governor of Nyamira County on March 4, 2013, General election on the Orange Democratic Movement ticket which he won, therefore, becoming the first governor of Nyamira County. He was sworn to office on 27 March 2013. In August 2017, he vied for the seat for the second term which was a tight race between him and his opponents former West Mugirango Constituency, Dr. James Gesami and former Kitutu Chache Member of Parliament, Walter Nyambati. He won and was sworn in for the second term. He serves as the current Governor of Nyamira County.

As governor of Nyamira County, with approval from the County Assembly of NyamiraCounty, he appointed in 2017 the following:

• Mr. John Omanwa serves as the Executive County Member for transport, Roads and Public Works.
• Mrs. Gladys Momanyi serves as the Executive County Member for Education & Vocational Training.
• Mr. Zablon Onchiri serves as the Executive County Member for Lands, Housing & Physical Planning.
• Mr. Samwel Maiko serves as the Executive County Member for Environment, Energy, Mining & Natural Resources.
• Mrs. Peris N. Mong’are serves as the Executive County MemberFor Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries.
• Mr. Douglas Bosire serves as the Executive County MemberFor Health Services.