Former President Mwai Kibaki political journey

• Kibaki served as Kenya's third President between 2002-2013.

The late Mwai Kibaki
The late Mwai Kibaki
Image: courtesy

Former President Mwai Kibaki is dead.

The passing on of the former head of state was announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta today.

Mwai Kibaki will be remembered as a charming politician who was calm and very composed.

His words were few but very impactful to the nation.

Kibaki served as Kenya's third President between 2002 and 2013.

Mwai Kibaki joined politics soon after Kenya gained Independence in 1963.

He then served as Finance minister between 1969 and 1982 and as Vice President between 1978 and 1988.

He later had a falling out with Moi and during the eve of agitation for multipartyism in early 1990, he resigned from Kanu and formed the Democratic Party.

Kibaki unsuccessfully challenged Moi in the 1992 and 1997 presidential races, earning him the position of the Official Opposition in 1998.

In the run-up to the 2002 General Election, Kibaki joined forces with other politicians including Raila Odinga, Charity Ngilu, Moody Awori and Kijana Wamalwa (who died in 2003) to form the National Rainbow Coalition.

Kibaki was picked as the coalition’s flag-bearer and he defeated the then Kanu candidate Uhuru Kenyatta.

Uhuru, the current President, had been picked by Moi to run against Kibaki.

Below is Mwai Kibaki's timeline;

1931 - Year of birth

1955 - Graduated from Makerere University

1960 - Chief executive officer of Kanu

1961 - Married former First Lady Lucy Kibaki (died in 2016)

1963 - MP for Donholm now Makadara constituency

1966 - Minister for Commerce and Industry

1969 - Minister for Finance and Economic Planning

1974 - Moved to Othaya as area MP

1978 - Named Vice President

1988 - Fell out with Moi

1991 - Quit Kanu

1992 - Founded Democratic Party.  Ran for President and came third. 

1997 - Ran against Moi and came second. 

1998 - Leader of the Opposition

2002 - DP among other opposition parties formed a coalition with NARC. Won the December 2002 presidential election

2013 - Quit active politics

Was re-elected MP in 1979, 1983, 1988, 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007 elections.

He passed on in April 2022 at the age of 91 years.

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