Mukhisa Kituyi is a Kenyan politician, Educationist, Political scientist, philosopher and a self-proclaimed economist. He has served as a member of parliament in Kenyan parliament representing Kimilili constituency in Bungoma County.
He has served as a secretary general for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.(UNCTAD) from 2013. He resigned from his powerful position in 2021 to concentrate on pushing his 2022 presidential bid agenda.
Birth and Age
Kituyi was born in 1956 at Bungoma, western Kenya as a son to Jamin Kituyi and Joinah Mukasa Kituyi. He is 65 years old as of 2021.
Education
Kituyi attended his primary school at Mbakalo Primary School in Bungoma before proceeding to Bokoli Secondary School for his ordinary level (O-Levels) education. He later joined St Mary’s Yala for his advanced level (A-Level) certificate in Education.
After completing his A-Level studies, Mukhisa enrolled for a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and international relations at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. He graduated from Makerere in 1982 before joining the University of Bergen for a Diploma of Science in Comparative Productions (1984), Masters of Philosophy in Development Studies (1986) and a Doctorate (PhD) Degree in Social Anthropology (1989) respectively.
Career
Upon graduation and return to Kenya in 1989, Mukhisa took a job as a programmes officer at Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD) in Nairobi. He took a second role as a director at African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) in 1990 to 1991.
In 1992, Mukhisa decided to test his skills and knowledge on politics when he declared his candidature for Kimilili constituency Member of Parliament. He campaigned and won against his competitors, earning him an entry into the then Kenyan parliament during the reign president Daniel Moi.
While serving as an MP, he was a chief opposition whip and a member of the House Business Committee. In 1997 General Elections, he vied again and won the parliamentary seat for Kimilili constituency. This time he served as a Minority leader and a member of parliamentary committee for defense and foreign affairs.
He was re-elected into parliament in 2002 general elections through a Ford Kenya Party ticket. After re-election, he was appointed as the minister of Trade and Industrialization by president Mwai Kibaki, a position he served until 2007. During his reign as a minister, he chaired the council of ministers for the Common Market for East and Central Africa (COMESA) and the African Trade Ministers council.
From 2011 to 2012, he was a consultant to African Union Commission and a Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Institute of Governance (2012-2013). He was appointed as the Secretary General for United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 2013. Mukhisa resigned from his secretary general role in February 2021 to push his political agenda, which was his exit plan from the Organisation.
Marriage
The political scientist and philosopher Kituyi is married to one Ling Kituyi, and together they have 4 children. The children are identified as Ivar Makari, Sitati Kituyi, Laila Kituyi and Thor Masasule Kituyi. Unfortunately, Kituyi lost one of his children Ivar Makari who died from a diabetic illness. He passed away on 28 June 2015 and was buried at his fathers’ rural home in Mbakalo, Tongaren constituency.
Wealth and Assets.
Mukhisa’s wealth and assets are not currently in the public domain, but judging from his huge role at UNCTAD and other roles he has served, he is a fairly wealthy man.