Moi’s long time aide Lee Njiru retires
Long serving press secretary Lee Njiru has announced his retirement from the Civil Service, crowning a 46- year career.
Njiru served 43 years of his 46-year career as a press secretary to the late President Daniel Arap Moi as his enthralling tenure comes to an end on Saturday, September 11.
In a press statement, Njiru said he would end his career officially on Saturday, September 11, having spent nearly 44 years serving in the presidency.
“It has been a challenging experience, interspersed with fulfilments, disappointments, envy, tribalism, backstabbing, intrigue, subterfuge and sophistry.” Njiru said.
Mr Njiru was hired to the office of President Jomo Kenyatta in 1977, and would later find favour in the administration of former President Daniel Moi who retained him to his staff once he took over from Mzee Kenyatta after his death in 1978.
According to Njiru the late Director of Information Edmund Matu introduced him to late Mzee Kenyatta.
Late last year, the Public Service Commission extended Mr Njiru’s contract to September 11, 2021 since the earlier contract was scheduled to end on June 30, 2020.
Mr Alex Kiprotich was appointed in 2016 to serve as Mr Njiru’s deputy and was prepared to take over from him once he retired.
However, retired President Moi declined to let go of Mr Njiru, who was then his most trusted aide until his death in February last year.
Njiru was born in Runyenjes 67 years ago, having completed his A-level in Kangaru School in 1968, and briefly worked at the NCPB in 1969.
He would later join the Kenya School of Mass Communications in 1974 and graduated with a certificate in 1976.
Njiru later joined the Kenya News Agency in 1977 and was then recruited to the Presidential Press Unit and since then the rest is history for the long serving press secretary.
Without mentioning names Njiru said he has forgiven the man who has frustrated his career for the last 15 years.
“He is the one who, for the last 15 years of my career, schemed and plotted to destroy me and my legacy. He failed miserably,” Njiru said.
Njiru also took time to thank The British High commissioner to Kenya in the 1990s, Sir John Johnson, Queen Elizabeth’s and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Press Secretaries Charles Anson and Bill Ingham respectively, Stuart Innes of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Gavin Maguire of the Central Office of Information London.
