Mwai Kibaki, born Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki was a prominent Kenyan politician who served as the third President of Kenya for a period of ten years from December 2002 to April 2013. After his two terms as the President lapsed, Kibaki officially retired from politics, leaving a legacy that will be remembered by many generations to come.
Prior to his presidential position, Kibaki had served as the fourth Vice President of Kenya under the late former president Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi. The legendary politician served in that capacity for ten years from 1978 to 1988.
Kibaki has also served in numerous ministerial positions during Kenyatta’s era as well as Moi’s era. Some of the ministerial positions he held included minister of finance serving from 1969 to 1981 under Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
He then served as Minister of Health and Home Affairs under the late former president Daniel Arap Moi. Moreover, he also served as an opposition leader for four years from 1998 to 2002. In 2002, he took over the sword from Moi and led the country for ten years.
He was well known as an economic master with a key to unlock a locked economy. His hilarious speeches were among many other things that you couldn’t get enough of him.
Mwai Kibaki Age and Place of Birth
Kibaki was born on 15th November 1931 in a small village known as Gatuyaini, Othaya in Nyeri County.
Mwai Kibaki Family Background
Mwai Kibaki was born in humble background as the last son of Kibaki Githinji and Teresian Wanjiku. He was born as Mwai Kibaki but later baptized as Emilio Stanley by Italian missionaries.
Mwai Kibaki Education
Kibaki began his education in Gatuyaini, a village school where he spent two years. He later moved to Karima mission school near Othaya before transferring to Mathari School (now Nyeri High School) between 1944 and 1946.
At school, he learned carpentry and masonry in addition to his academic studies. After attending Karima Primary and Nyeri Boarding Primary Schools, he went on to Mang’u High School, where he studied from 1947 to 1950, earning the highest grade in his O Level exams.
Before completing his final year at Mang’u Kibaki wanted to join the army after finishing school but his ambitions were cut short after Chief colonial secretary, Walter Coutts, banned members of Kikuyu, Embu, and Meru communities from joining the military.
After the ban, he decided to join Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda to pursue economics, history, and political science. He graduated with first-class honors and landed a job at Kampala working with Shell Company of East Africa.
He later received a scholarship and jetted to the United Kingdom to undertake postgraduate studies at a British university. Kibaki joined the London School of Economics graduating with a BSc in Public finance.
Wife and Kids
Kibaki was married to the late Lucy Mothoni who passed away in 2016. The two met way back in the 1960s when Lucy was working as a secondary school teacher.
The two got married in 1961 and their reunion was blessed with four kids Judy Wanjiku, Jimmy Kibaki, David Kagai, and Tony Githinji. However, unlike many political families, none of his sons or daughters has aspired to take in his father’s footsteps.
However, his marital life didn’t lack tides, in 2004 reports started surfacing that Kibaki had marred another woman Mary Wambui and sired a daughter Wangui Mwai.
The report exploded into a huge controversy that forced him to call for an unsigned press conference to declare he only has one wife and four children.
Career
Early Political Career
