Jackson Harvester Angaine

Jackson Harvester Nteere Angaine (1903-1999), popularly known as the "King of Meru", was a key political figure in Kenya's Meru County from the 1960's until his death in 1999. In 1963 he was appointed Cabinet Minister for Lands and Settlement by Jomo Kenyatta and remained in the Cabinet until 1979.

As members of the Kenya African Union (KAU) Angaine and Kenyatta had been arrested in 1952 for their part in the Mau Mau uprising or "Kenya Emergency" which paved the way for independence in 1963. During the Emergency the KAU was banned by the colonial government until 1960 when Angaine was one of the founding members of the Kenya African National Union (KANU) alongside other political pioneers such as James Gichuru and Achieng Oneko.

Upon his release Angaine was elected to the Legislative Council alongside Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Tom Mboya and raised funds from the people of Meru to buy a Mercedes Benz for Kenyatta before his own release from prison. Angaine became one of Kenyatta's most trusted advisors who in turn rewarded him with a cabinet role when he became Prime Minister in 1963 and Kenya's first president in 1964.

In 1979 Angaine lost his parliamentary seat to Nteere Mbogori but was returned to Parliament in 1983 and in 1985 to the Cabinet of Daniel arap Moi as Minister in the Office of the President. He held this position until he was replaced by David Mwiraria in 1992.

As Minister for Lands and Settlement, Angaine played a controversial role in distribution of land regained from white settlers with accusations of land allocation to the new government elite at the expense of the rural poor.