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102-434: Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta CGH ( / ʊ . h uː . r uː k ɛ n . j ɑː . t ɑː / born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. The son of Jomo Kenyatta , Kenya's first president, he previously served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013. Daniel Arap Moi had picked Kenyatta as his preferred successor. Uhuru Kenyatta. However, he

204-565: A 12 October 2013 speech to the African Union in which he set a belligerent tone, Uhuru accused the ICC of being "a toy of declining imperial powers". On 31 October 2013, the ICC postponed Kenyatta's trial for crimes against humanity by three months until 5 February 2014 after the defense had requested more time. On 8 October 2014, Kenyatta appeared before the ICC in The Hague. He was called to appear at

306-631: A Nairobi architect. In 1999, Moi appointed Uhuru to chair the Kenya Tourism Board, a government parastatal. In 2001, he was nominated as a Member of Parliament , and joined the Cabinet as Minister for Local Government . He would also later be elected First Vice Chairman of KANU. In the 2002 nomination process, which was widely thought as undemocratic and underhand, Moi influenced Uhuru Kenyatta's nomination as KANU 's preferred presidential candidate, sparking an outcry from other interested contenders and

408-548: A ceremonial President elected via universal suffrage and an executive Prime Minister elected by Parliament. The draft presented by Attorney General Amos Wako for the referendum retained sweeping powers for the Presidency. Though Kibaki supported the proposal, some members of his own cabinet, mainly from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) wing led by Raila Odinga, allied with the main opposition party KANU to mobilize

510-588: A first class honours degree in economics. After graduation, Kibaki remained in Uganda, working for the Shell Company of East Africa . He then earned a scholarship entitling him to undertake postgraduate studies at any British university. He chose the London School of Economics , from which he obtained a BSc in public finance, with distinction. In 1958, he went back to Makerere, where he taught as an assistant lecturer in

612-419: A hastily convened dusk ceremony, Kibaki was sworn in at the grounds of State House, Nairobi for his second term, defiantly calling for the "verdict of the people" to be respected and for "healing and reconciliation" to begin. Tension arose and led to protests by a huge number of Kenyans who felt that Kibaki had refused to respect the verdict of the people and was now forcibly remaining in office. Immediately

714-515: A loyal stalwart of the ruling single party, KANU. In the months before multi-party politics were introduced in 1992, he infamously declared that agitating for multi-party democracy and trying to dislodge KANU from power was like "trying to cut down a fig tree with a razor blade". It was therefore with great surprise that the country received the news of Kibaki's resignation from government and leaving KANU on Christmas Day in December 1991, only days after

816-435: A major turnaround. GDP growth picked up from a low 0.6% (real −1.6%) in 2002 to 3% in 2003, 4.9% in 2004, 5.8% in 2005, 6% in 2006, and 7% in 2007, then after the post election chaos and Global Financial Crisis—2008 (1.7%)and 2009 (2.6%), recovered to 5% in 2010 and 5% in 2011. Development was resumed in all areas of the country, including the hitherto neglected and largely undeveloped semi-arid or arid north. Many sectors of

918-525: A massive exit from the party ensued. This move by the late President Moi was seen as a ploy to install Uhuru as a puppet so that even in retirement, Moi would still rule the country through Uhuru and presumably insulate himself against the numerous charges of abuse of office that plagued his presidency. Uhuru finished second to Mwai Kibaki in the General Elections, with 31% of the vote. He conceded defeat and took up an active leadership role as Leader of

1020-486: A political consultancy that worked to elect Donald Trump in the 2016 American presidential election, boasted that his firm had run successful presidential election campaigns in Kenya in 2013 and 2017, though he did not name Kenyatta explicitly. "We have re-branded the entire party twice, written the manifesto, done research, analysis, messaging," Turnbull said, of the campaigns that his company managed in Kenya. "I think we wrote all

1122-442: A powerful NO campaign that resulted in a majority of 58% of voters rejecting the draft. As a consequence of, and immediately after, the referendum loss, on 23 November 2005, Kibaki dismissed his entire cabinet in the middle of his administration's term, with the aim of purging all Raila-allied ministers from the cabinet. About his decision Kibaki said; "Following the results of the referendum, it has become necessary for me, as

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1224-581: A protracted count which saw presidential results in Kibaki's Central Kenya come in last, allegedly inflated, in a cloud of suspicion and rising tensions, amid vehement protests by Raila's ODM , overnight re-tallying of results and chaotic scenes, all beamed live on TV, at the national tallying center at the Kenyatta International Conference Center in Nairobi , riot police eventually sealed off

1326-506: A result of those injuries. The rest of his presidential campaign was thus conducted by his NARC colleagues in his absence, led by Raila Odinga and Kijana Wamalwa (who went on to become the Vice President) who campaigned tirelessly for Kibaki after stating, "The captain has been injured in the field... but the rest of the team shall continue." On 27 December 2002, Kibaki and NARC won a landslide victory over KANU, with Kibaki getting 62% of

1428-515: A rival ceremony on Monday, but police banned the event. Koki Muli, the head of local watchdog, the Institute of Education in Democracy, said called the day the "saddest...in the history of democracy in this country" and "a coup d'etat ." Opposition supporters saw the result as a plot by Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe, Kenya's largest, to keep power by any means. The tribes that lost the election were upset at

1530-482: A spirited fight as he was being cross-examined by ICC Chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo in The Hague, denying any links with the outlawed Mungiki sect. He said Prime Minister Raila Odinga should take political responsibility for the acts of violence and killings that followed the 2007 presidential elections in Kenya. He told the three judges that "by telling his supporters election results were being rigged, fanned tensions and then failed to use his influence to quell

1632-504: A stand: according to one joke, "He never saw a fence he didn't sit on". Similarly, Kenneth Matiba also referred to him as "General Kiguoya" for refusing to resign the Kanu government and join the opposition after he was dropped as vice president in 1988. 'Kiguoya' translates to the 'fearful one' in the Kikuyu language. He also, as the political circumstances of the time dictated, projected himself as

1734-634: A strong contender for the following year's general elections, having received major defections from other big political parties of Kenya. The successful election of TNA's main candidates (Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto) continued to enhance TNA's viability. In January 2013, however, TNA merged with URP to form the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP). Uhuru Kenyatta's party, The National Alliance (TNA) joined William Ruto 's United Republican Party (URP), Najib Balala's Republican Congress Party (RCP) and Charity Ngilu's National Rainbow Coalition party to form

1836-530: A suspect of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo , for planning and funding violence in Naivasha and Nakuru . This was in relation to the violence that followed the bungled national elections of December 2007 . In furtherance of his political support for Kibaki's PNU at the time, he was accused of organising a Kikuyu politico-religious group,

1938-518: A teller at the Kenya Commercial Bank . After attending St. Mary's school, Uhuru went on to study economics, political science and government at Amherst College in the United States . Upon his graduation, Uhuru returned to Kenya, and started a company, Wilham Kenya Limited, through which he sourced and exported agricultural produce. Uhuru was nominated to Parliament in 1999, he then became

2040-621: A verdict delivered on Saturday 30 March 2013. Chief Justice Willy Mutunga in his ruling said the elections were indeed conducted in compliance with the Constitution and the law. After the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions the swearing in ceremony was held on 9 April 2013 at the Moi International Sports Centre , Kasarani , Nairobi , in accordance to Article 141 (2) (b) of the constitution which stipulates that in case

2142-504: The 2002 presidential election , he was elected as President of Kenya. Kibaki was born on 15 November 1931 in Gatuyaini village, Othaya division of Kenya's then Nyeri District (now Nyeri County ). He was the youngest son of Kikuyu peasants Kibaki Gĩthĩnji and Teresia Wanjikũ. Though baptised as Emilio Stanley by Italian missionaries in his youth, he has been known as Mwai Kibaki throughout his public life. Kibaki started his schooling at

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2244-503: The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy garnering 42%. Raila Amolo Odinga disputed the election results at the Supreme Court which however held (7–0) that the election of Uhuru was valid and such irregularities as existed did not make a difference to the final outcome. Uhuru Kenyatta was therefore sworn in as president on 9 April 2013. Uhuru ran for president in the elections held on 4 March 2013 and garnered 6,173,433 votes (50.03%) out of

2346-692: The December 2007 presidential election and was named Minister of Local Government by Former President Mwai Kibaki in January 2008, before being appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade in April 2008 as part of the new coalition government. Subsequently, Uhuru Kenyatta was Minister of Finance from 2009 to 2012, while remaining Deputy Prime Minister. Accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of committing crimes against humanity in relation to

2448-750: The Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), which was shortly thereafter disbanded by the new Parliament. The country was only saved by the mediation of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan with a panel of "Eminent African Personalities" backed by the African Union , the United States, and the United Kingdom. Following the mediation, a deal, called the national accord, was signed in February 2008 between Raila Odinga and Kibaki, now referred to as

2550-653: The Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi governments, including as minister for Finance (1969–1981) under Kenyatta, and Minister for Home Affairs (1982–1988) and Minister for Health (1988–1991) under Moi. Kibaki served as an opposition Member of Parliament from 1992 to 2002. He unsuccessfully vied for the presidency in 1992 and 1997. He served as the Leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament from 1998 to 2002. Following

2652-644: The Moi tenure – a feat faced with several challenges, including the aftermath of the Nyayo Era (Moi Presidency), western donor fatigue, the President's ill health during his first term, political tension culminating in the break-up of the NARC coalition, the 2007–2008 post election violence, the 2007–2008 Global Financial crisis, and a tenuous relationship with his coalition partner, Raila Odinga, during his second term. President Kibaki,

2754-547: The Mungiki , in the post-election violence. Overall, the post-election violence of 2007 is said to have claimed about 1300 lives. Uhuru maintained his innocence and wanted his name cleared. On 8 March 2011, while serving as minister in Kibaki's government, he was indicted after being summoned to appear before the ICC pre-trial chamber. He was to appear at The Hague on 8 April 2011 alongside five other suspects. On 29 September 2011, while seeking to exonerate himself, Uhuru Kenyatta put up

2856-633: The Party of National Unity . The parties in his alliance included the much diminished former ruling KANU , DP , Narc-Kenya , Ford-Kenya , Ford People , and Shirikisho . Kibaki's main opponent, Raila Odinga , had used the referendum victory to launch the ODM , which nominated him as its presidential candidate for the 2007 elections. On 30 September 2007, President Kibaki launched his presidential campaign at Nyayo Stadium , Nairobi. Kalonzo Musyoka then broke away from Raila's ODM to mount his own fringe bid for

2958-539: The violent aftermath of the 2007 election , he resigned as Minister of Finance on 26 January 2012. He was elected as President of Kenya in the March 2013 presidential election , defeating Raila Odinga with a slim majority in a single round of voting. In the 1997 general election , Uhuru Kenyatta contested for the Gatundu South Constituency parliamentary seat, once held by his father, but lost to Moses Mwihia,

3060-581: The "two Principals". The accord, later passed by the Kenyan Parliament as the National Accord and Reconciliation Act 2008 provided inter alia for power-sharing, with Kibaki remaining President and Raila Odinga taking a newly re-created post of Prime Minister. On 17 April 2008, Raila Odinga was sworn in as Prime Minister of Kenya , along with a power-sharing Cabinet, with 42 ministers and 50 assistant ministers, Kenya's largest ever. The cabinet

3162-499: The 12,221,053 valid votes cast ahead of the second placed Raila Odinga who garnered 5,340,546 (43.7%). Uhuru's result was 50.51% of the vote and was above the 50% plus 1 vote threshold set out in the 2010 constitution, thus making him the president-elect. There was some discontent with the official results, as would be expected in such a hotly contested election, especially in Raila Odinga's strongholds. The inordinate delay in releasing

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3264-566: The 12,338,667 votes cast. As this was above the 50% plus 1 vote threshold, he won the election in the first round thus evading a run-off between the top two candidates. He was, therefore, declared the fourth President of the Republic of Kenya by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). According to the IEBC, Raila Odinga garnered 5,340,546 votes (43.4%) and was thus the second in

3366-410: The 2007 Elections chaired by Justice Johann Kriegler , it was found that there were too many electoral malpractices from several regions perpetrated by all the contesting parties to conclusively establish which candidate won the December 2007 Presidential elections . Such malpractices included widespread bribery, vote buying, intimidation, and ballot stuffing by both sides, as well as incompetence from

3468-778: The 2013 General Election) nominated to be the KANU presidential candidate, and hurriedly formed the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). NAK later combined with the LDP to form the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC). On 14 October 2002, at a large opposition rally in Uhuru Park , Nairobi , Kibaki was nominated the NARC opposition alliance presidential candidate after Raila Odinga made the famous declaration; " Kibaki Tosha! " ( Swahili for "Kibaki [is] enough") On 3 December 2002, Kibaki

3570-746: The 2013 elections. On 17 September 2012, The National Alliance party had its first real test when it contested various civic and parliamentary positions in a by-election that covered 17 seats in total; 3 parliamentary and 14 civic. Overall, 133,054 votes were cast in the by-elections and TNA led the pack after it garnered 38.89% or 51,878 votes, followed by Orange Democratic Movement with 33.7% or 44,837 votes, Party of National Unity with 4.46% or 5,929 votes, Wiper Democratic Movement with 4.44% or 5,912 votes and United Democratic Forum with 4.15% or 5,520 votes. TNA won civic and parliamentary seats in 7 different counties while its closest challengers, ODM won seats in 4 counties. The National Alliance Party remained

3672-500: The Chairman of the IEBC, Wafula Chebukati announced Uhuru's reelection to a second term in office during the 2017 Kenyan general election, with 54% of the popular vote. This was later contested in court and annulled. Innulment, a second election was required in which Uhuru Kenyatta won with 98% of the vote with a 39% voter turnout. On 9 March 2018 Uhuru Kenyatta agreed on a truce between the opposition leader, Raila Odinga. This action marked

3774-548: The Economic Planning Commission in 1963, he was promoted to Minister of Commerce and Industry in 1966. In 1969, he became Minister of Finance and Economic Planning where he served until 1982. In 1974, Kibaki, facing serious competition for his Doonholm Constituency seat from an opponent Mrs. Jael Mbogo , whom he had only narrowly and controversially beaten for the seat in the 1969 elections, moved his political base from Nairobi to his rural home, Othaya, where he

3876-451: The Finance portfolio until Moi changed his ministerial portfolio from Finance to Home Affairs in 1982. He had in 1978 rejected an offer to become World Bank Vice President for Africa instead choosing to further his political career. As of 2023, he is still regarded as one of the most effective and consequential finance ministers of the Republic of Kenya. Later as President, he kept close tabs with

3978-532: The General Election, the need for an economically empowered youth and a call to bring an end to divisive and sectarian interests in politics to safeguard Kenya from sliding to dictatorship. Machel Waikenda was the director of communications and secretary of arts and entertainment of the National Alliance, from April 2012 to August 2013 and he led the media and communications department of the party during

4080-636: The Grand Coalition Cabinet. He was the Deputy Prime Minister representing the PNU, while another Deputy Prime Minister, Musalia Mudavadi , represented the ODM. Kenyatta and the rest of the Cabinet were sworn in on 17 April. Uhuru Kenyatta was later moved from Local Government and appointed Minister for Finance on 23 January 2009. During his tenure, he spearheaded a number of reform measures that changed how treasury and government by extension transact business, such as

4182-460: The ICC "status conference" when the prosecution said evidence needed to go ahead with a trial was being withheld. In a speech to the Kenyan parliament Kenyatta said that he was going to The Hague in a personal capacity — not as president of the country — so as not to compromise the sovereignty of Kenyans. Kenyatta did not speak in court, but denied the charges in comments to journalists as he left

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4284-436: The ICC confirmed the cases against Kenyatta and Muthaura although the charges against Muthaura were subsequently dropped. Serious concerns about the case have been raised, particularly the nature of the evidence being used against Kenyatta. There are also serious concerns about witness tampering and indeed, a number of witnesses have disappeared or died, which is the reason cited by the ICC for dropping charges against Mathaura. On

4386-623: The Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) and a fund for the inclusion of the informal sector in the mainstream economy. In 2013, Uhuru Kenyatta was elected as the 4th President of Kenya under The National Alliance (TNA), which was part of the Jubilee Alliance with his running mate William Ruto 's United Republican Party (URP). Uhuru and Ruto won 50.07% of votes cast, with closest rivals, Raila Odinga and running mate Kalonzo Musyoka of

4488-523: The Jubilee Alliance coalition. Various opinion polls prior to the election placed Uhuru as one of the main contenders, and his Jubilee Alliance as among the most popular. The other formidable coalition was the Coalition For Reform and Democracy (CORD), led by Raila Odinga . In undercover video footage, released in a BBC news report on 19 March 2018, the managing director of Cambridge Analytica,

4590-657: The Jubilee Party. Kenyatta was re-elected for a second and final term in the August 2017 general elections , winning 54% of the popular vote. The win was formally declared on national television by the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) , Wafula Chebukati . However, Uhuru's election was challenged in the Supreme Court of Kenya by his main competitor, Raila Odinga . On 1 September 2017,

4692-506: The Minister for Local Government under President Daniel Arap Moi and, despite his political inexperience, was favoured by Moi as his successor. Kenyatta ran as KANU's candidate in the December 2002 presidential election , but lost to the opposition candidate Mwai Kibaki by a big margin. He subsequently became Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. He backed Hon. Mwai Kibaki for re-election in

4794-600: The Moi years were completed. The country's cities and towns also began being positively renewed and transformed. The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was also introduced in 2003. The fund was designed to support constituency-level, grass-root development projects. It was aimed to achieve equitable distribution of development resources across regions and to control imbalances in regional development brought about by partisan politics. It targeted all constituency-level development projects, particularly those aiming to combat poverty at

4896-494: The Opposition . In January 2005, Uhuru Kenyatta defeated Nicholas Biwott for chairmanship of KANU, taking 2,980 votes among party delegates against Biwott's 622 votes. Uhuru led his party KANU in the referendum campaigns against the draft constitution in 2005 , having teamed up with the Liberal Democratic Party , a rebel faction in the Kibaki government, to form the Orange Democratic Movement . The result of this

4998-514: The President of the Republic, to re-organize my government to make it more cohesive and better able to serve the people of Kenya". The only members of the cabinet office to be spared a midterm exit were the Vice President and Minister of Home Affairs , Moody Awori , and the Attorney General whose position is constitutionally protected. A new cabinet of Kibaki loyalists, including MP's from

5100-584: The Supreme Court of Kenya to contest the result . The groups were the Coalition For Reform and Democracy, CORD, led by Raila Odinga , and the Africa Centre for Open Governance (AFRICOG). Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate were respondents in these cases and were represented by Fred Ngatia and Katwa Kigen respectively. The Supreme court judges unanimously upheld the election of Uhuru Kenyatta as Kenya's fourth president after rejecting Raila Odinga's petition in

5202-436: The Supreme Court upholds the victory of the president-elect, the swearing in will take place on "the first Tuesday following the seventh day following the date on which the court renders a decision declaring the election to be valid". During his inaugural speech, Uhuru promised economic transformation through Vision 2030 , unity among all Kenyans, free maternal care and that he will serve all Kenyans. He also promised to improve

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5304-772: The TNA launch was a strong indication that he would contest for the party's presidential nomination ticket in his quest for the presidency in the 2013 General Elections. The Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Eugene Wamalwa and Eldoret North Constituency MP William Ruto led more than 70 MPs in attending the function. The Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Abdi Ramadhan, Cabinet Ministers Mohamed Yusuf Haji , Jamleck Irungu Kamau , Dr. Naomi Shaaban, Samuel Poghisio , Professor Sam Ongeri and Dr. Mohammed Kuti and MPs Charles Cheruiyot Keter , Aden Bare Duale and Mohamed Maalim Mohamud also attended

5406-435: The country the witty, sporty, eloquent Kibaki of the previous years. A man who could make lengthy and flowery contributions on the floor of Parliament without notes was confined to reading speeches at every forum. In late January 2003, it was announced that the President had been admitted to Nairobi Hospital to have a blood clot– the after-effect of his car accident– removed from his leg. He came out of hospital and addressed

5508-588: The country's watershed moment that redrew its political architecture. On 27 November 2019, Uhuru Kenyatta launched the Building Bridges Initiatives (BBI) in Bomas of Kenya. This is one of the outcomes as a result of the truce with the opposition leader Raila Odinga as its implementations will foresee some amendments in the Kenyan Constitution . Prior to him becoming president, Kenyatta was named as

5610-422: The court declared the election invalid and ordered a new presidential election to take place within 60 days from the day of the ruling. A new presidential election was held on 26 October, which he won, with 39.03% electoral voter participation. Uhuru Kenyatta was born on 26 October 1961, to the first president of Kenya , Jomo Kenyatta , and his fourth wife, Mama Ngina Kenyatta (née Muhoho). The second born in

5712-537: The court to catch a flight back home. "We as Kenyans, we know where we came from, we know where we are going, and nobody will tell us what to do," he said. The judges adjourned the hearings and charges were dropped on 13 March 2015. On 20 May 2012, Uhuru Kenyatta attended the elaborately assembled and much-publicized launch of The National Alliance party in a modern high-tech dome at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre . His presence at

5814-484: The death in office of Vice President, Michael Wamalwa Kijana . In January 2003, Kibaki introduced a free primary education initiative, which brought over 1 million children who would not have been able to afford school the chance to attend. The initiative received positive attention, including praise from Bill Clinton , who met Kibaki in Kenya in July 2005. In his tenure he was involved in numerous academic events including

5916-401: The economics department until 1961. In 1961, Kibaki married Lucy Muthoni , the daughter of a church minister, who was then a secondary school head teacher. In early 1960, Mwai Kibaki left academia for active politics by giving up his job at Makerere and returning to Kenya to become an executive officer of Kenya African National Union (KANU), at the request of Thomas Joseph Mboya (who was

6018-409: The economist whose term as Finance minister in the 1970s is widely celebrated as outstanding, did much as president to repair the damage done to the country's economy during the 24-year reign of his predecessor, President Moi. Compared to the Moi years, Kenya was much better managed, by far more competent public sector personnel, and was much transformed. Kenya's economy in the Kibaki years experienced

6120-485: The economy recovered from total collapse pre-2003. Numerous state corporations that had collapsed during the Moi years were revived and began performing profitably. The telecommunications sector boomed. Rebuilding, modernisation, and expansion of infrastructure began in earnest, with several ambitious infrastructural and other projects, such as the Thika Superhighway , which would have been seen as unattainable during

6222-410: The election, amidst the controversy that resulted when Kibaki was declared the victor despite claims of fraud from challenger Raila Odinga and his Orange Democratic Movement , Kibaki appointed Kenyatta as Minister for Local Government on 8 January 2008. After Kibaki and Odinga reached a power-sharing agreement, Kenyatta was named Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade on 13 April 2008, as part of

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6324-422: The event. Speeches at the launch revolved around the need for a thriving economy, the need for the rights of people of all classes in society to be championed, the need for peaceful co-existence, the need for visionary and committed leadership, the need for transformative leadership, the need for a youthful crop of committed professionals in leadership, the need for free and fair nomination and election processes in

6426-469: The family , he has two sisters, Christine (born 1953), Anna Nyokabi (born 1963) and a brother, Muhoho Kenyatta (born 1965). His family hails from the Kikuyu , a Bantu ethnic group. His given name " Uhuru " is from the Swahili term for "freedom" and was given to him in anticipation of Kenya's upcoming independence. Uhuru attended St Mary's School in Nairobi . Between 1979 and 1980, he also briefly worked as

6528-476: The famous Equity Group Foundation, Wings to Fly 2013 scholars commissioning. The 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum was held on 21 November 2005. The main issue of contention in the Constitution review process was how much power should be vested in the Kenyan Presidency. In previous drafts, those who feared a concentration of power in the president added provisions for European-style power-sharing between

6630-472: The field of eight candidates. CORD, under the leadership of presidential candidate Raila Odinga , lodged a petition with the Supreme Court of Kenya on 10 March 2013 challenging Uhuru's election. On 30 March 2013, Dr Willy Mutunga , the Chief Justice of Kenya, read the unanimous Supreme Court ruling declaring the election of Uhuru Kenyatta and his running-mate, William Ruto , as valid. On 11 August 2017,

6732-459: The figure subsequently announced by the Electoral Commission, leading him to doubt the accuracy of the announced results. It was reported that Kibaki, who had previously been perceived as an "old-school gentleman", had "revealed a steely side" when he swore himself in within an hour of being announced the victor of the highly contested election—one where the results were largely in question. Odinga's supporters said he would be declared president at

6834-451: The highest grade in his O Level examinations. In his last year at Mang'u, Kibaki briefly considered enlisting in the army, but this ambition was thwarted when Kenya's Chief colonial secretary, Walter Coutts , prohibited members of Kikuyu, Embu , and Meru communities from joining the military. Kibaki instead attended Makerere University in Kampala , Uganda, where he studied economics, history, and political science . He graduated with

6936-426: The medal despite not being Kenyan sitting presidents. Recipients include: This Kenya related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to orders , decorations , and medals is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mwai Kibaki Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki CGH (15 November 1931 – 21 April 2022) was a Kenyan politician who served as

7038-458: The most parliamentary and local authority seats by a wide margin. A joint statement by the British Foreign Office and Department for International Development cited "real concerns" over irregularities, while international observers refused to declare the election free and fair. The European Union chief observer, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff , cited one constituency where his monitors saw official results for Kibaki that were 25,000 votes lower than

7140-515: The opposition, termed the Government of National Unity (GNU), was thereafter appointed, but some MP's who were offered ministerial positions declined to take up posts. A report by a Kenyan Commission of Inquiry, the Waki Commission , contextualises some issues. They reported that Kibaki, after agreeing to an informal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create the post of Prime Minister, reneged on this pact after being elected. They cited criticism of Kibaki neglecting his pre-election agreement, leaving

7242-417: The other Kenyan tribes and regions, with Kibaki's victory being attained only with the near exclusive support of the populous Kikuyu , Meru , and Embu communities-who had turned out to vote for Kibaki in large numbers after feeling, in reaction to the Odinga campaign, and with the covert encouragement of the Kibaki campaign, increasingly besieged and threatened by the pro-Odinga tribes. Moreover, ODM had won

7344-407: The populist sloganeering of his predecessors. His style of leadership gave him the image of a seemingly aloof, withdrawn technocrat or intellectual and made him seem out of touch with the street, and his seemingly hands-off leadership-by-delegation style made his governments, especially at the cabinet level, appear dysfunctional. It is widely acknowledged that age and the 2002 accident denied

7446-526: The presidency, thus narrowing down the contest between the main candidates, Kibaki, the incumbent, and Odinga. Opinion polls up to election day showed Kibaki behind Raila Odinga nationally, but closing. On regional analysis, the polls showed him behind Raila in all regions of the country except Central Province , Embu , and Meru , where he was projected to take most of the votes, and behind Kalonzo Musyoka in Kalonzo's native Ukambani . Three days later, after

7548-604: The presidency. Kibaki joined third-placed Raila Odinga in accusing the president of rigging the poll, and both opposition leaders boycotted Moi's swearing in for his fifth term in office. In preparation for the 2002 elections, Kibaki's Democratic Party affiliated with several other opposition parties to form the National Alliance of Kenya (NAK). A group of disappointed KANU presidential aspirants then quit KANU in protest after being overlooked by outgoing President Moi when Moi had Uhuru Kenyatta (founding Father Jomo Kenyatta 's son and Kibaki's successor as Kenya's 4th President after

7650-426: The prospect of five years without political power, and anti-Kikuyu sentiment swelled, spawning the 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis , as violence broke out in several places in the country, started by the ODM supporters protesting the "stealing" of their "victory", and subsequently escalating as the targeted Kikuyus retaliated. As unrest spread, television and radio stations were instructed to stop all live broadcasts. There

7752-565: The public outside the hospital on TV in a visibly incoherent manner, and speculation after that was that he had suffered a stroke, his second, the first being said to have occurred sometimes in the 1970s. His subsequent ill health greatly diminished his performance during his first term and the affairs of government during that time are said to have been largely run by a group of loyal aides, both in and out of government. Kibaki did not seem well, for instance, when he appeared live on TV on 25 September 2003 to appoint Moody Awori Vice President after

7854-462: The public to identify it as an attempt by the Kibaki Government to "keep power to itself rather than share it." On 26 January 2007, President Kibaki declared his intention of running for re-election in the 2007 presidential election . On 16 September 2007, Kibaki announced that he would stand as the candidate of a new alliance incorporating all the parties who supported his re-election, called

7956-518: The repeal of Section 2A of the then Constitution of Kenya , which restored the multi-party system of government. Soon after his resignation, Kibaki founded the Democratic Party (DP) and entered the presidential race in the upcoming multi-party elections of 1992. Kibaki was regarded as one of the favourites among Moi's challengers, although his support came mainly from the Kikuyu voters as the election

8058-488: The results and the technical failure of some safeguards and election equipment deployed by the IEBC did not help the perception that the election had been less than free and fair. Further, an exit poll conducted by UCSD Professor Clark Gibson and James Long, Asst. Prof. and University of Washington suggested that neither Odinga nor Kenyatta had attained the 50% plus one vote threshold. Analysts have contended that even though elections for five other levels were held in Kenya at

8160-399: The results were announced, Odinga bitterly accused Kibaki of electoral fraud. Odinga's allegations scored with his supporters, and seemed meritorious since the results had defied pre-election polls and expectations and election day exit polls. Furthermore, Odinga, who had campaigned against the concentration of political power in the hands of Kikuyu politicians, had won the votes of most of

8262-660: The same time, their national turnout levels and total vote tallies were about 16% less than the presidential total; e.g. while 10.6 million voters elected candidates for member of the National Assembly, the Senate and the 47 gubernatorial seats, almost 2 million more voted in the presidential election. This has fueled concern and speculations of vote manipulation in President Kenyatta's favor. Two groups disputed these results and filed petitions challenging various aspects of it at

8364-612: The secretary general of KANU). Kibaki then helped to draft Kenya's independence constitution . In 1963, Kibaki was elected as Member of Parliament for the Doonholm Constituency (subsequently called Bahati and now known as Makadara) in Nairobi . His election was the start of a long political career. In 1963 Kibaki was appointed the Permanent Secretary for the Treasury. Appointed Assistant Minister of Finance and chairman of

8466-401: The speeches, and we staged the whole thing—so just about every element of this candidate." A Jubilee Party vice president admitted on 20 March 2018, that the party had hired an affiliate of Cambridge Analytica for "branding" in the 2017 election. Uhuru Kenyatta was officially declared the president elect on Saturday 9 March at 2:44 pm. As per the IEBC's official results, Uhuru got 6,173,433 of

8568-508: The standards of education in Kenya. During the Madaraka day Celebrations, a national holiday celebrated to the country's independence on 1 June, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced free maternal care in all public health facilities, a move that was welcomed by many Kenyans. On 1 September 2017, the Supreme Court of Kenya nullified the re-election of Uhuru Kenyatta after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had announced him

8670-493: The tallying Center ahead of the result announcement, evicted party agents, observers, and the media, and moved the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Samuel Kivuitu , to another room where Kivuitu went on to declare Kibaki the winner by 4,584,721 votes to Odinga's 4,352,993, placing Kibaki ahead of Odinga by about 232,000 votes in the hotly contested election with Kalonzo Musyoka a distant third. One hour later, in

8772-404: The third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013. He served in various leadership positions in Kenya's government including being the longest serving Member of Parliament (MP) in Kenya from 1963 to 2013. He had previously served as the fourth Vice-President of Kenya for ten years from 1978 to 1988 under President Daniel arap Moi . He also held cabinet ministerial positions in

8874-531: The treasury and directly influenced key economic policies resulting in steady economic growth. Kibaki fell out of favor with President Moi in March 1988, and was dropped as vice president and moved to the Ministry of Health. Kibaki's political style during these years was described as gentlemanly and non-confrontational. This style exposed him to criticism that he was a spineless, or even cowardly, politician who never took

8976-457: The two parties to end the chaos, Kibaki remained as president in a power sharing agreement with Raila as Prime Minister, while Uhuru Kenyatta was Kibaki's choice as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister For Finance in his share of Cabinet slots. On 13 September 2007, Uhuru Kenyatta withdrew from the December 2007 presidential election in favour of Kibaki for re-election. He said that he did not want to run unless he could be sure of winning. Following

9078-510: The village school in Gatuyaini , where he completed two years. He then continued his education at the Karima mission school, close to Othaya town, before moving to Mathari School (now Nyeri High School ) between 1944 and 1946. In addition to his academic studies, he learned carpentry and masonry at the school. After Karima Primary and Nyeri Boarding primary schools, he proceeded to Mang'u High School , where he studied between 1947 and 1950, gaining

9180-561: The violence that followed the announcement of the 2007 presidential results." Though Uhuru had previously dismissed ICC summons, he changed his decision along the way. Together with his two other co-accused suspects, Head of Civil Service, Ambassador Francis Muthaura and former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali, the trio honoured the ICC Summons that sought to determine whether their cases met the set standards for international trials. On 23 January 2012,

9282-691: The votes in the presidential elections, against only 31% for the KANU candidate Uhuru Kenyatta . On 30 December 2002, still nursing injuries from the motor vehicle accident and in a wheel chair, Kibaki was sworn in as the third President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kenya , in front of thousands of cheering supporters at the historic Uhuru Park within Nairobi City. At his inauguration, he stressed his opposition to government corruption, saying: "Government will no longer be run on

9384-725: The whims of individuals." Kibaki's swearing in marked the end of four decades of KANU rule, the party having ruled Kenya since independence. Moi, who had been in power for 24 years, began his retirement. President Kibaki's style was that of a low key publicity averse but highly intelligent and competent technocrat. He, 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; 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

9486-632: The winner on 8 August 2017. As a result of that, there was a need for the election to be held once again. It was scheduled for 26 October 2017. After the reelection, Uhuru Kenyatta emerged the winner once again. He was sworn in on 28 November 2017 for his second presidential term. Order of the Golden Heart (Kenya) Chief of the Order is mostly given to the holders of the office of the President of Kenya . However, several prominent figures have also received

9588-560: Was a vote against the adoption of the draft constitution by a noticeable margin, which was a great political embarrassment to Emilio Mwai Kibaki. In November 2006, Kenyatta was displaced as KANU leader by the late Nicholas Biwott. On 28 December 2006, the High Court of Kenya reinstated Uhuru Kenyatta as KANU chairman. However, further court proceedings followed. On 28 June 2007, the High Court confirmed Kenyatta as party leader, ruling that there

9690-473: Was defeated by the then opposition leader Mwai Kibaki in the 2002 election , and Kibaki was subsequently sworn in as the President. Kenyatta served as the member of parliament (MP) for Gatundu South from 2002 to 2013 and also as Deputy Prime Minister to Raila Odinga from 2008 to 2013. Currently he is a member and the party leader of the Jubilee Party of Kenya , whose popularity has since dwindled. Kenyatta

9792-418: Was fifty percent Kibaki appointed ministers and fifty percent Raila appointed ministers, and was in reality a carefully balanced ethnic coalition . The arrangement, which also included Kalonzo Musyoka as vice president, was known as the "Grand Coalition Government". The Kibaki presidency set itself the main task of reviving and turning round country after years of stagnation and economic mismanagement during

9894-421: Was fought along ethnic lines, confirming a prediction made by both Moi and political analysts at the beginning of multipartyism. Kibaki came third in the subsequent presidential elections of 1992, when the divided opposition lost to president Moi and KANU despite having received more than two-thirds of the vote. He then came second to Moi in the 1997 elections, when again, Moi beat a divided opposition to retain

9996-417: Was injured in a road accident while on his way back to Nairobi from a campaign meeting at Machakos junction 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Nairobi. He was subsequently hospitalized in Nairobi , then London, after sustaining fracture injuries in the accident. After the accident, he had to move using a wheel chair up to months later after his presidency. For the remainder of his life, he walked rather awkwardly as

10098-432: Was insufficient evidence for Biwott's argument that Kenyatta had joined another party. In the run up to the 2007 general election, he led KANU to join a coalition (called Party of National Unity "PNU") with President Mwai Kibaki who was running for a second term against Raila Odinga . PNU won the controversial 2007 elections but the dispute over the poll resulted in the 2007–08 Kenyan crisis . Under an agreement between

10200-536: Was previously a member of the Kenya Africa National Union (KANU), a political party that had led Kenya to independence in 1963. He resigned from KANU in 2012 and joined The National Alliance (TNA), one of the allied parties that campaigned for his election victory during the 2013 election . He later on went to form a merger with the United Republican Party (URP) led by William Ruto to form

10302-482: Was subsequently elected as Member of Parliament. The same year Time magazine rated him among the top 100 people in the world who had the potential to lead. He was re-elected Member of Parliament for Othaya in the subsequent elections of 1979, 1983, 1988, 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2007. When Daniel arap Moi succeeded Jomo Kenyatta as President of Kenya in 1978, Kibaki was elevated to the Vice Presidency , and kept

10404-484: Was widespread theft, vandalism, looting, destruction of property, and a significant number of atrocities, killings, and sexual violence reported. The violence continued for more than two months, as Kibaki ruled with "half" a cabinet he had appointed, with Odinga and ODM refusing to recognize him as president. When the election was eventually investigated by the Independent Review Commission (IREC) on

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