The Malawi MP delegation signing the visitors book at Kenya’s Parliament in Nairobi
* He will be remembered for rebounding the economy which he found at its lowest point—MP Gladys Ganda
* Economic growth shot up to 7% from 1 % during his first term in office
* He increased literacy levels in Kenya is as a result of the introduction of the free primary education
By Duncan Mlanjira
Members of Parliament from Malawi represented the country on Wednesday in paying last respects to former President of Kenya, late Mwai Kibaki as his remains lay in state at Kenya’s Parliament in Nairobi.
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Mwai Kibaki, who served as the country’s third president from December 2002 to April 2013 — taking over from Daniel arap Moi — died on April 21 after a long illness at the age of 90.
Speaking in Nairobi, the Malawi MP leader of delegation, Gladys Ganda described late Kibaki as a president who was really focused on transforming the East African country’s economy.
“He will be remembered for rebounding the economy which he found at its lowest point,” she said. “Economic growth shot up to 7% from 1 % during his first term in office.”
Ganda also said that increased literacy levels in Kenya is as a result of the introduction of the free primary education.
“An educated nation is a well informed nation whose citizens positively contribute to the development of their country,” she said adding that the former Kenyan leader pioneered the implementation of a new robust Constitution currently in use in that country.
Cordial relationship with Kenya started with Dr. Kamuzu Banda and Mzee Jomo Kenyatta
She took cognizance that Malawi and Kenya have a cordial working relationship which dates back from the era of the two founding presidents, Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda and Mzee Jomo Kenyatta respectively.
“Since then the people of the countries have lived to promote the symbiotic and mutual relationship.”
A Nairobi resident, Yvonne Onsoti is quoted by Africanews as saying: “We have lost a hero. He was a father to the nation — an economist who has revived this country and has put in place strategies that has seen this country progress from where it has come from.”
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Another resident, Maryanne Adhiambo told the online that Kibaki was a good man and handled the economy very well while Aggrey Sifuna said: “He gave our children free education and I hope that other Presidents that come after him will emulate him and continue with the good work that he did.”
Charity Ngilu, a governor of Kitui County who served as a minister in Kibaki’s administration, told Africanews that the late President spearheaded Kenya “out of terrible economic times of the 90s in ensuring that we got a real economic state of the country where everybody used to say that we are proud to be Kenyans”.
“We will miss him, we will miss his leadership, we will miss his guidance, his political strength that we all learned,” she is quoted as saying.
The late Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki will be accorded a state funeral with full military honours on Saturday and will be finally interred at his Mweiga home in Othaya Sub-County.
He had previously served as the fourth Vice-president for 10 years from 1978 to 1988 under President Daniel arap Moi and also held cabinet ministerial positions in the Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi governments.
He served as minister for Finance (1969–1981) under Kenyatta and Minister for Home Affairs (1982–1988) and Minister for Health (1988–1991) under Moi.
Late Daniel arap Moi
Kibaki also served as an opposition Member of Parliament from 1992 to 2002 and he unsuccessfully vied for the presidency in 1992 and 1997 and continued to serve as leader of opposition from 1998 until the 2002 presidential election when he ascended as President of Kenya.
Kibaki was born on November 15, 1931 in Gayuyaini village, Othaya division of Kenya’s then Nyeri District, now NyeriCounty.
He was the youngest son of Kikuyu peasants Kibaki Gĩthĩnji and Teresia Wanjikũ and though he was baptised as Emilio Stanley by Italian missionaries in his youth, he has been known as Mwai Kibaki throughout his public life.
Wikipedia reports that President Kibaki’s leadership style was that of a low key publicity averse but highly intelligent and competent technocrat — that unlike his predecessors, never tried to establish a personality cult; never had his portrait on every unit of Kenya’s currency; never had all manner of streets, places, and institutions named after him.
He never had state sanctioned praise songs composed in his honour; never dominated news bulletins with reports of his presidential activities — however routine or mundane; and never engaged in the populist sloganeering of his predecessors.
Kibaki handed over the Kenyan presidency to his successor, Uhuru Kenyatta on April 9, 2013 at a public inauguration ceremony where he said: “I am happy to pass the torch of leadership to the new generation of leaders” while thanking all Kenyans for the support they had given him throughout his tenure in office and of his 50 years of public service.
Moi’s last leg with President Uhuru Kenyatta
Kibaki was married to Lucy Muthani from 1961 until her death in 2016 and had four children — Judy Wanjiku, Jimmy Kibaki, David Kagai, and Tony Githinji and several grandchildren — Joy Jamie Marie, Rachael Muthoni, Mwai Junior, and Krystinaa Muthoni.[
Kibaki enjoyed playing golf and was a member of the Muthaiga Golf Club and he was a practicing and a very committed member of the Roman Catholic Church.
