SHADRACK WANJALA NASONG’O
EMILIO Stanley Mwai Kibaki, who has died at the age of 90, was born on November 15, 1931 in Othaya, Nyeri, in the central highlands of Kenya. He spent a lifetime in public service.
He served as president of Kenya – the third after independence – from 2002 to 2013, a critical period in Kenya’s transition from a one party state to democracy. He also served as the fourth vice-president (1978 to 1988) under President Daniel arap Moi.
To his friends and admirers, Kibaki was a gentleman who survived the murky Kenyan politics unscathed. The qualities he was respected for included being a consensus builder and a man of integrity.
He was recognised for being an efficient economist who helped steer Kenya’s economy to greater heights and, as president of Kenya, had a moment in history to positively change the country.
To Kibaki’s detractors, however, he was a coward and indecisive politician who, in
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