Mwai Kibaki is Dead – Remembering Kenya’s 3rd President

Former President Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki is dead at 90.

President Uhuru Kenyatta made the announcement on Friday, April 22. Kibaki served for two terms as Kenya’s third President, between 2002 and 2013.

Kibaki is credited with spearheading rapid economic growth of the country in his tenure, and helping open up the democratic space with the promulgation of the 2010 constitution a historic highlight.

He transformed Kenya’s public infrastructure and spearheaded development of the Vision 2030 economic blueprint which Kenya follows to this day. Among programs introduced during his time in office are Free Primary Education (FPE) and the national fibre optic network which made Kenya a hub for technology in Africa.

His tenure as President was however not devoid of low points. A disputed election in 2007, in which Raila Odinga claimed victory and international observers claimed was deeply flawed, sparked some of the worst violence the country has ever seen.

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The 2007/08 post election violence (PEV) cost saw over 1,500 Kenyans killed in ethnic attacks and many thousands more displaced.

A deal brokered by then UN President Kofi Annan in early 2008 saw the formation of the Grand Coalition Government with Kibaki as President, Odinga as Prime Minister, and the sharing of cabinet slots and other positions between their parties.

Besides his time as President, Kibaki served in a litany of public service roles in his career.

The Makerere University alumnus had a stint as Vice President to former President Daniel Arap Moi between 1978 and 1988.

He also held cabinet ministerial positions in the post-independence Kenyatta and Moi governments, including as minister for Finance (1969–1981) under Kenyatta, and Minister for Home Affairs (1982–1988) and Minister for Health (1988–1991) under Moi.

Kibaki served as an opposition Member of Parliament from 1992 to 2002. He failed in his bids  for the presidency in 1992 and 1997. He served as the Leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament from 1998 to 2002.

In 2002, he teamed up with leaders including Raila Odinga in the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) and swept to power on a wave of euphoria after 24 years of Moi’s rule.

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