Uhuru's exit leaves Kenyatta kin with 'political dry spell'

Dr Mungai was MP for Dagoreti for most of President Kenyatta's term while Koinange, known in informal circles as Jomo's Kissinger, equally served in Kiambaa. Mzee Kenyatta told Koinange's critics that the minister only needed his and Mama Ngina's vote to keep the Kiambaa parliamentary seat. Kenyatta's oldest child and son with his first wife Grace Wahu, Peter Muigai, was MP for Juja between 1969 and 1979. Ms Kenyatta was Nairobi Mayor between 1970 to 1976 and Kenya's Permanent Representative to the UN 1976 to 1986. She was thereafter appointed as a Commissioner with the Electoral Commission of Kenya from 1992 to 2002.

The Kenyatta clan remained influential over the years even after Jomo's death in 1978 and the exit of Koinange from elective politics in 1979. Koinange died in 1981. Wambui Kenyatta was still Kenya's representative to the UN, Dr Njoroge Mungai was still in and out of parliament and newcomer Ngengi Muigai had inherited his uncle's Gatundu seat. Another relative Andrew Ngumba had served as Nairobi mayor and later became Mathare MP. Later on, discharged former Catholic priest George Muhoho - Mama Ngina's brother - would retake the Muigai's Juja parliamentary seat between 1983-1991. He was in the group that resigned with Mwai Kibaki to launch the Democratic Party (DP). The Kenyatta kin only parliamentarian between 1992 and 2001 as Central Kenya made a total shutdown of Moi's government was Beth Mugo as Daggoretti MP on DP ticket.