Home » Mwai Kibaki: Quick facts about his life, career, and politics. ‘Longest serving Member of Parliament’

Mwai Kibaki: Quick facts about his life, career, and politics. ‘Longest serving Member of Parliament’

by Amos Khaemba
In April 2022, a 62-year-old man moved to court claiming to be the late President Mwa Kibaki’s son.

With the passing of former President Mwai Kibaki, many Kenyans associated him with revitalizing the Kenyan economy.

Kivumbi .co.ke looks at the interesting facts about the retired president’s life, career, and politics.

Kibaki was born on November 15, 1931, to peasant parents – Kibaki Githinji and Teresia Wanjiku in Gatuyaini village, Othaya Constituency.

Former President Mwai Kibaki is dead, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has confirmed.

In his education life, Kibaki was an alumnus of six schools, Gatuyaini Primary School, Karima Mission School, Nyeri High School, Mangu School, Makerere University, and the London School of Economics.

His childhood ambition was to become a soldier but his dream was shattered in 1950 when the colonial government banned members of the Gikuyu, Embu, and Meru communities from joining the army due to instability linked to freedom fighting group, Mau Mau, oaths

Mwai Kibaki’s illustrious legacy in economic improvement of the country when he was president between 200-2013 was not by accident, In 1955, he graduated with a First Class Honours Degree (BA) in Economics.

In 1957, he became the first African to graduate with a first-class degree from the London School of Economics.
The former president got married at the age of 30 in 1961 to Lucy Muthoni Kagai and they lived together for 55 years until she passed away in 2016.

They were blessed with four children – Judy, Jimmy, Tony, and David

His first job after university was in Uganda as an assistant manager at Shell East Africa.

Kibaki joined politics in 1960 after he was given a job as independence party Kenya African National Union (KANU) Executive Director.

This was after being head-hunted by Raila Odinga’s father, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, from Uganda where he had been teaching at Makerere.

Kibaki was first elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) in Nairobi’s Donholm Constituency (currently Makadara) before relocating to Othaya after the 1969 election and served as MP from 1974 to 2013.

He remains the longest-serving MP in Kenyan history (1963-2013).

In termed government positions Kibaki headed 4 ministries – Commerce, Finance, Home Affairs, and Health at different times.

Kibaki also served as the vice president for 10 years (1978-1988) during the late President Daniel Moi’s regime.
Kibaki was elected the third president of Kenya in 2002 after defeating current President Uhuru Kenyatta who had been endorsed by the late Moi.

Kenya’s third president oversaw the upgrade of Thika Road into an 8-lane highway. The road cost Ksh32 billion and stretches 56 kilometers from Nairobi to Kenol.

During his tenure, Kibaki enacted the Public Officer Ethics Act 2003, which prohibits public officials from presiding over fundraisers.

The lowest moments in his political life were the controversial 2007 General Elections where many Kenyans lost their lives following his 6 pm swearing-in as president today no one now who won the elections.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More