Former minister Joseph Munyao dies aged 85
Former minister Joseph Munyao dies aged 85
Former Livestock minister and Mbooni Member of Parliament Joseph Konzolo Munyao has died at the age of 85.
Munyao died on Saturday November 22, 2025 afternoon while receiving treatment at the Nairobi Hospital, according to his son, Alex Kyalo.
Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior eulogised Munyao as a man who “served our nation with dedication and humility as the Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Development” and who had “a deep commitment to the wellbeing of his constituents”
“His contribution to leadership and development will be remembered with great respect,” Kilonzo Jnr said in a statement.
The former minister was also a key pillar of the Democratic Party, which was founded by former president Mwai Kibaki. As recently as July 2023, he was an official at the party.
Munyao is remembered for breathing lite into the Kenya Meat Commission
(KMC) in 2006, after it had been closed for 15 years.
The reopening of KMC happened in June 2006.
“KMC was re-opened on June 26, 2006 after 15 years of closure with an objective of promoting the meat industry in Kenya, both domestic and for export,” says a post on KMC’s website.
Munyao, an alumnus of Machakos High School, began his career as a bank clerk with the Standard Chartered Bank in 1962. By 1965, he had become an accounts clerk in the office of founding president Jomo Kenyatta.
Born on May 4, 1940, he entered politics during the inaugural 1963 General Election. Then, at just 23, he contested what was then the Mombasa mainland seat comprising Changamwe, Kisauni, and Mtongwe, but lost.
He was elected member of Parliament in 1975 in his home district after winning a by-election after a successful petition challenging the election of Joseph Kalulu, who dislodged him four years later.
In 1988, Munyao lost to Johnson Makau in the notorious mlolongo (queue-voting) elections.
Between 1998 and 2002, he was a nominated MP.
President Ruto said he was saddened by the passing of Munyao, who is also a former MP for Mbooni Constituency, “We extend our deepest condolences to his family and to the people of Mbooni as we honour a man who served with steady dedication.”
“He worked very closely with farmers to strengthen their livelihoods, which remains a lasting contribution to our country. His public service reflected a quiet resolve and a clear sense of duty that shaped many lives,” said Ruto.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka said Munyao was a quiet yet powerful presence, humble, disciplined, and always placing the service of others above himself.
“He was more than a steady hand, he carried himself with humility, grace, and a deep respect for all. His presence anchored every room he entered. Our elder brother was the embodiment of a devoted public servant working tirelessly for ordinary Kenyans with a sincerity that is increasingly rare today. His guiding principle was simple yet profound: service for the people,” said Musyoka.