REMEMBERING KIBAKI AND HIS LEGACY.
It is sad to hear the news of the passing on of former President Mwai Kibaki. May his family find peace and comfort through such a dark moment.
It is sad to hear the news of the passing on of former President Mwai Kibaki. May his family find peace and comfort through such a dark moment.
Kibaki will be remembered for his long and illustrious public service career which transcended over five decades.
During his time as president, he presided over one of the most transformative periods in terms of economic growth and development as well as expansion of political freedoms.
Kibaki inherited an economy that was badly ruined by years of looting, bad governance and incompetence.
Kibaki inherited an economy that was badly ruined by years of looting, bad governance and incompetence.
Through the Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation 2003-2007, he quickly transformed the economy. This was through well thought out and deliberate economic policies. These were reinforced by prudence and competence.
The Free Primary Education was the highlight of these policies. It unleashed the power of education in wrestling the beast of abject poverty. Education is the most potent weapon in the war against poverty and inequalities.
It is to be remembered that all this happened without overburdening the country with unsustainable debt and heavy taxation. Fiscal prudence and good governance ensured the available resources were deployed to yield maximum value for money.
When we left the University of Nairobi in 2004, jobs were easy to come by albeit with some months of tarmacking. Many in my class were employed in the fast expanding private and public sector.
Kibaki's economic transformation wasn't just for optics. It was reflected in people's pockets.
Kibaki prioritised service delivery over politics. His unwillingness to engage in confrontational politics was often confused for cowardice. It almost cost him a second term.
Kibaki prioritised service delivery over politics. His unwillingness to engage in confrontational politics was often confused for cowardice. It almost cost him a second term.
If there was a lesson that should have been learnt from his presidency, it is the need to avoid endless politics. This foolishness and madness of politicking from January to December and every second in between has cost this country a lot.
Kibaki's presidency was hampered by unproductive opposition politics. He had to balance between work and dealing with those obsessed with politics.
Those who opposed things not because they were bad for the country but because they were bad for their politics and selfish interests. They were always riled by his unwillingness to respond to their provocations.
Personally, I will also remember Kibaki as a long serving Patron of Starehe Boys Centre and School. Kibaki took over the patronage of the school after the passing on of Tom Mboya in 1969. He remained our patron even after retiring from the presidency.
Needless to say, there is no public figure whose legacy will be without controversy. Outlining the legacy of a public figure will always be a delicate balancing act akin to liver juggling. It is even tougher for someone who was in the public spotlight for over 50 years.
It is impossible to do justice to a legacy so rich in a post as short as this.
We should avoid the temptation to engage in pontification and self righteousness when eulogising past leaders.
We should avoid the temptation to engage in pontification and self righteousness when eulogising past leaders.
We should be humbled at the prospects of what our legacy would be if we were similarly publicly exposed.
Anyone exercising objectivity will count Kibaki's legacy as a positive one with many things to be emulated. Those with negative things to say about his legacy too have their reasons, space and time to do so.
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