Mwai Kibaki Achievements: What Was Mwai Kibaki Known For?

Late Mwai Kibaki was known for ushering in economic reforms and a new constitution.

The Kibaki presidency set itself the main task of reviving and turning round country after years of stagnation and economic mismanagement during the Moi years.

Unlike his predecessors, Kibaki 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 honor; never dominated news bulletins with reports of his presidential activities – however routine or mundane; and never engaged in the populist sloganeering of his predecessors.

His style of leadership has given him the image of a seemingly aloof, withdrawn technocrat or intellectual and has made him seem out of touch with the street.

Kibaki’s seemingly hands-off leadership-by-delegation style made his governments, especially at cabinet level, seem dysfunctional.

Kibaki served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013. He died on Friday, April 22, 2022.