Nyeri politics has taken a dramatic turn as Governor Mutahi Kahiga provokes fresh outrage by quietly ushering retired County Secretary Benjamin Gachichio back into government, appointing him to a newly minted post as “economic advisor” and restoring him to the county payroll only months after his mandatory exit from public service. Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga sparks outrage after reinstating retired County Secretary Benjamin Gachichio to Nyeri’s payroll in a new advisory role with no economic track record.
Gachichio formally retired in May after attaining the mandatory age limit, ending a decades‑long career as a career administrator.
At the time, the County Government publicly celebrated his service, issuing a glowing statement praising his eight‑year tenure under Governor Kahiga’s leadership and portraying his exit as a well‑deserved close to a lifetime of dedication to public administration.
That farewell now appears short‑lived as within weeks of the retirement send‑off, the same governor who lauded Gachichio’s departure has created a new advisory portfolio and quietly placed the former county secretary back on the payroll. Official announcement from Nyeri County Government dated May 15 announcing the retirement of County Secretary Benjamin Gachichio after eight years of service under Governor Mutahi Kahiga.
Critics say the appointment has nothing to do with economic expertise and everything to do with political loyalty, pointing out that Gachichio has no clear record in fiscal planning or development strategy.
Meanwhile, Nyeri’s educated youth, many with specialized training in economics and finance, continue to sit idle while top county jobs are recycled among long‑serving loyalists.
Residents argue that this move signals the entrenchment of patronage networks in the county government, with lucrative positions reserved for allies rather than awarded on merit.
By reviving Gachichio’s career under a different title, Kahiga has drawn accusations that public service in Nyeri is being reduced to a private preserve for political insiders rather than an engine of economic renewal. "Hello Nyakundi. Let me tell you what is happening here in Nyeri. Benjamin Gachichio, who retired in May after serving as County Secretary, was given a full send‑off by Governor Mutahi Kahiga and told it was the end of an era. Now, barely a few months later, the same Governor has quietly brought him back on the county payroll as an ‘economic advisor.’ He is drawing a fresh salary from public coffers while our qualified young people, many with economics degrees, are sitting idle without jobs. Gachichio has no known record as an economist. He is an administrator by career, so this appointment looks like nothing more than a reward for political loyalty. People are angry because it shows that in Nyeri, top positions are just recycled among the Governor’s inner circle while opportunities remain closed to those without connections. Please post this and tell Governor Kahiga to stop turning public service into a retirement club for his friends."