Family life and political career of former president Mwai Kibaki

In 1961, the former president Mwai Kibaki married the (late) Lucy Muthoni of Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri County.

Lucy was a trained teacher with a sterling career at Kamwenja Teachers College and Kambui College.

In 1963, however, she sacrificed her teaching career at Kambui College to focus on family life and support her husband’s budding political career.

The two had four children namely; Judy Wanjiku, Jimmy Kibaki, David Kagai and Tony Githinji.

Mwai Kibaki is a staunch Catholic, where he was baptized Emilio Stanley by Italian missionaries, a name he rarely uses.

As for hobbies, he loved golf, a sport that he embraced early as a young man.

He is a life member of the Muthaiga Golf Club.

Political Career

Mwai Kibaki exited the academia world to join politics, he returned to Kenya in 1960 as the Independence preparations got well underway.

This was an opportune time that the country had experienced a decade of national political awakening incorporating efforts by freedom fighters as well as politicians that were agitating for self-rule through political mechanisms.

In March 1960, became a fundamental player in the crafting of Kenya African National Union (KANU) by becoming its first Executive Officer.

As an Executive Officer Mwai Kibaki was critical in the setting up of the party structures that aided in making it a formidable vehicle to take up the country’s leadership.

He was also part of the team tasked with writing Kenya’s first constitution. The constitution was instrumental in offering the first set of laws that would govern an independent Kenya in 1963.

Also read–> Early life, education and work of former president Mwai Kibaki

Elective Politics (1963-1974)

In the first pre-independence elections, Mwai Kibaki contested for a parliamentary seat in Donholm (subsequently called Bahati and now known as Makadara) in Nairobi.

In 1974, Kibaki shifted his political constituency to Othaya from Donholm constituency. The motivations behind this emanated from the 1969 controversial election that saw him beating his fiercest competitor, Mrs.

Jael Mbogo narrowly. It also made much sense for him to represent his home constituency.

This was a tactical retreat. Explaining it later, Kibaki said he was under pressure, ever since he left Makerere, to go back to his Othaya home.

“The folks back home had been after me for years.”Kibaki has since then represented Othaya constituency until 2012 when he exited active politics.

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