Michuki was at the center of the coalition-making politics ahead of the historic 2002 elections. He first joined a group of parliamentarians led by the then leader of Opposition, Mwai Kibaki, which formed the National Alliance Party of Kenya (NAK), as a merger of smaller opposition parties that endorsed Kibaki as flag-bearer. In October 2002, NAK coalesced with the breakaway faction of KANU, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to form the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) in 2002, which dislodged Moi and KANU after four decades in power. Michuki became a central figure and a key Kibaki ally in the NARC politics, retaining his Kangema parliamentary seat. President Kibaki subsequently appointed him Minister of Transport and Communications in the NARC government. Michuki Rules Michuki's legacy as the Minister for Transport and Communications was the famous "Michuki Rules" aimed at restoring order in public transport, especially the chaotic Matatu (Taxi) sector. The rules which came into effect in February 2004 required all public taxis ("matatus") and buses to install speed governors, passenger safety belts, operate in clearly defined routes, to carry a specified number of passengers and their drivers and conductors to be disciplined and to have a clean security record. In recognition of his efforts to reform public transport, Michuki won the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights' Waziri (Minister's) award. The defeat of the government sponsored constitution in the 2005 referendum culminated to the cabinet reshuffle which saw Michuki appointed as the Minister of influential ministry Internal Security and Provincial Administration. Michuki was appointed as Minister for Roads and Public Works in the Cabinet named by President Kibaki on 8 January 2008 following the controversial December 2007 presidential election. He would however serve this ministry for a short while as when the Grand Coalition government was formed after a power-sharing agreement between president Kibaki and the leader of the opposition Raila Odinga. Minister of Environment Michuki was appointed as Minister for the Environment and Mineral Resources in the Grand Coalition Cabinet named on 13 April 2008. He was also appointed by president Kibaki as an Acting Minister of Finance on 11 July 2008 to stand in for Amos Kimunya. Amos Kimunya stepped aside pending investigation on corruption allegation in the Ministry when he censored by parliament over the sale of Grand Regency Hotel and the Safaricom IPO. As Minister for Environment and Mineral Resources, has initiated diverse programmes and projects among them being the Nairobi River's Rehabilitation and Restoration Programme, the reclamation of the Kenya's five water towers (the Mau Forest Complex, Mount Kenya, Aberdare Range, Mount Elgon and Cherangany Hills).