Biography

Former Cabinet minister of Kenya and one of the heroes of Kenya's independence movement.

Along with Kenya's first president, Jomo Kenyatta, Ngei was one of the "Kapenguria Six," who served prison terms in colonial days as leaders of the Mau Mau rebellion. The six were arrested Oct. 22, 1952 on suspicion of being the leaders of Mau Mau, whose violent revolt against British colonial rule, though eventually defeated, helped force Britain to give independence to Kenya. They were convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for managing Mau Mau, and were released in 1961.

Won a seat in parliament after he was freed and served for 27 years as a Cabinet minister in two presidential administrations. During his career, Ngei held the Cabinet posts in charge of marketing, housing and social services, environment, and lands and settlement. He was forced to leave his parliamentary seat and Cabinet post in 1991 after the High Court declared him bankrupt.