Biography
Mwai Kibaki
Finance Minister 1969 to 1982. Vice President 1978 to 1988. President 2002 to 2013. Died 2022.
Mwai Kibaki was Kenya's third President, from 2002 to 2013. An economist, Kibaki ran the Treasury for 13 years and as President oversaw strong growth, free primary education and the 2010 Constitution. Born on 15 November 1931 in Gatuyaini, Othaya, Nyeri County. Died on 21 April 2022 in Nairobi, aged 90.
- Full name
- Emilio Mwai Kibaki
- Born
- 15 November 1931, Gatuyaini, Othaya, Nyeri County
- Died
- 21 April 2022, Nairobi
- Party
- Democratic Party, NARC, then PNU
- Family
- Married to Lucy Kibaki (died 2016).
Education
- Mang'u High SchoolSecondary school
- Makerere UniversityBA in Economics, History and Political Science (1955, first class)
- London School of EconomicsBSc in Public Finance
Career
- 1958 to 1960Economics lecturer at Makerere
- 1963 to 2013MP: Nairobi Doonholm, then Othaya from 1974
- 1969 to 1982Minister for Finance
- 1978 to 1988Vice President under Moi
- 1988 to 1991Minister for Health
- 1991Left KANU and founded the Democratic Party
- 2002 to 2013Third President of Kenya (NARC, then PNU); introduced free primary education in 2003; disputed 2007 re-election led to the Grand Coalition
- 27 August 2010Promulgated the new Constitution
What Kibaki stood for
A technocratic, growth-first, cautious reformer. Institutional change came mostly under pressure.
- Role of the state in the economy: Leans market-led
- Land, wealth and taxes: Mixed
- Institutions and power-sharing: Leans checks and devolution
- Political style: Leans establishment
- Civil liberties: Leans order-first
Placed mainly from what Kibaki did, not what Kibaki said. See the full record, with every source.
Common questions
Who was Mwai Kibaki?
Mwai Kibaki was Kenya's third President, from 2002 to 2013. An economist, Kibaki ran the Treasury for 13 years and as President oversaw strong growth, free primary education and the 2010 Constitution. Finance Minister 1969 to 1982. Vice President 1978 to 1988. President 2002 to 2013. Died 2022.
When was Mwai Kibaki born, and when did they die?
Born on 15 November 1931 in Gatuyaini, Othaya, Nyeri County. Died on 21 April 2022 in Nairobi, aged 90.
What did Mwai Kibaki study?
BA in Economics, History and Political Science (1955, first class) at Makerere University; BSc in Public Finance at London School of Economics.
Which party was Mwai Kibaki in?
Democratic Party, NARC, then PNU.
What did Mwai Kibaki stand for?
A technocratic, growth-first, cautious reformer. Institutional change came mostly under pressure.
Sources (1)
Facts above come from these sources. Where they disagree, we leave the detail out. Spotted an error? Send it in.