Kibaki, an economist and passionate golfer, left a complex legacy when he retired after his second presidential term in 2013. He not only led a new constitution that brought hope for change, he led Kenya to a period of stable economic growth and major infrastructural developments. But he was also at the forefront of the most violent elections in the country’s history, when more than 1,200 people died in bloody ethnic battles following a contested 2007 election.
Kibaki’s death was confirmed in a statement issued by Kenya, which said the country would observe a period of national mourning from Friday until his funeral.
Kenya paid tribute to Kibaki as a “gentleman of Kenyan politics” and recalled “his dignity, his zeal, his frankness and his concern for the well-being of all Kenyans”.
“Kibaki was a typical patriot whose legacy of civic responsibility will continue to inspire generations of Kenyans long into our future,” Kenya said.
Broken ties with his predecessor
When Kibaki was first elected in 2002, the outgoing president has ruled Kenya since 1978 and was forced to resign by the constitution. Mine ceded power in a peaceful ceremony, rare in many African countries at the time. The jubilant Kenyans danced in the streets while others climbed trees and lamps to celebrate Kibaki’s victory.
After decades of Moi’s autocratic rule, many described the scenes as reminiscent of the celebrations since Kenya’s 1963 independence from Britain.
Kibaki was Kenya’s finance minister in the 1970s under Jomo Kenyatta, the nation’s founding president. He later became vice president in the 1980s under Moi, but severed ties with him as his government became embroiled in corruption scandals and economic problems.
In the 1990s, Kibaki formed the Democratic Party, then considered the main opposition to the ruling KANU party, a monumental move in a country that has been served by one party since independence. He helped stimulate a group of politicians and opposition parties dissatisfied with Moi’s leadership. This group proved to be his greatest asset and helped him come to power in 2002.
During his presidential campaign, he vowed to tackle corruption, boost the economy and rebuild the nation. After winning, he set the tone for a new era with a blunt rebuke to his predecessor.
“Fellow Kenyans, I am inheriting a country that has been severely devastated by years of mismanagement and incompetence,” Kibaki said during his first inauguration as mine with a stony face sat nearby. “There is a big difference between the people and the government, between the aspirations of the people and the attitude of the government towards them.
But while Kibaki initially waged a war on corruption, one of the nation’s biggest corruption scandals was during his tenure. Anglo Leasing’s multimillion-dollar case, which came two years after he took office, involves public money being distributed to a complex network of companies for a range of services – some of which have never been delivered.
However, despite the scandals, Kibaki has made major changes to public facilities, including the introduction of free primary education for children and the renovation of health facilities. He was re-elected for two terms and was president until 2013.
Post-election bloodshed
When Kibaki was elected for a second term in 2007, the opposition condemned the poll as a forgery. She rejected the results and vowed to take over as opposition leader Rila Odinga as president. The government deployed troops as supporters of the ruling party, and the opposition took to the streets, sparking violence that left many dead.
The bloodshed stunned the world. Until then, Kenya enjoyed a reputation as one of the most stable nations in Africa. A stunned world watches as the country with a powerful economy and one of the region’s most lucrative tourism industries sinks into violence and insecurity.
United Nations intervention has helped reach a peace agreement, but Kenya has lost its luster as a model of democracy.
Two years before the end of his second term, the nation’s famous tourism industry failed miserably as al-Shabab fighters from neighboring Somalia began attacking tourists in Kenya. Kibaki deployed troops to Somalia, sparking tensions between the two countries.
The early years
Kibaki was born on November 15, 1931 in Nieri, on the slopes of Mount Kenya.
During his youth, he studied carpentry and masonry and will help repair furniture in the boarding schools he visits. After graduating from Mangu High School in Kenya, he went to the prestigious Makerere University in Uganda – then described as “Harvard University in Africa”.
He studied economics and political science at Makerere, and was also vice president of the student union. He later attended the London School of Economics, where he received a bachelor’s degree in public finance. He returned to his alma mater, Makerere, and taught at the Faculty of Economics.
Kibaki left his job as a professor to join politics, serving as a member of parliament and minister of trade, as well as finance minister. He was appointed vice president in 1978, when Moi took over after Kenya’s death.
Kibaki unsuccessfully ran for president twice, in 1991 and 1997, before being finally elected.
His wife Lucy Kibaki died in 2016.
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