By VITALIS KIMUTAI
Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey can be described as a man with nine lives, going by the storms he has survived in his 30-years-old political career.
From the scandal following the collapse of the Kenya National Assurance (KNA), the loss of millions of shillings during the 1987 All Africa Games following an advertising scam, the International Criminal Case (ICC), which faced him at The Hague and the abuse of office charges – Kosgey has survived them all.
He has held a record eight ministerial posts, has only been defeated once as MP, and repeatedly been in and out of the Cabinet.
He is regarded as a successful businessman, with vast interests in transport, banking, real estate, media, tea estates, and tea processing.
Besides, he remains, the longest serving MP after President Kibaki in the current Parliament making him one of the senior-most and experienced politicians.
Kosgey has for years weathered many political storms nationally, regionally, and in his Nandi backyard, but has always stood out as one who rarely loses his cool.
The soft-spoken but shrewd politician has only once been defeated as an MP – during the 1988 General Election when he lost to Kimaiyo Sego in infamous mlolongo voting, which was roundly condemned as undemocratic.
He made history at the age of 32 when he was appointed Transport and Communication minister in 1979, making him one of the youngest MPs in Cabinet.
In that election, Kosgey beat veteran politician Jean Marie Seroney who had a larger than life image.
While serving at the ministry, he was credited with setting up Kenya Airways, Kenya Railways, Kenya Ports Authority, and modernisation of the telecommunication sector.
Upon re-election in 1985, Kosgey was appointed by former President Moi as Minister for Co-operative Development before being moved in a reshuffle in 1987 to the Ministry of Culture and Social Services.
The ministry, though seen to be less glamorous, was tasked with preparing the 1988 All Africa Games which Kenya hosted.
Though the games were billed as a success, an American Dick Berg who had been awarded an advertising contract fled the country with millions of shillings shortly after the competitions closed.
As a result, Kosgey was accused of being involved in the scandal – the first in his political career. But the MP denied the allegations saying the contract was awarded long before he was appointed to the docket.
Abuse of office
Though a commission of inquiry later cleared him, the matter has remained a blot on his career.
The collapse of KNA in 1996 was partly blamed on the minister who was chairman between 1990-1992, when he was in the political cold.
He had lost his parliamentary seat to politician Sego during the 1988 infamous mlolongo election said to have been rigged.
But Kosgey denied the claims saying he was only KNA chairman for two years. It collapsed four years after he left.
Upon re-election to Parliament in 1992, he remained a backbencher until 1996 when a Cabinet reshuffle saw him land in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, replacing former Mosop MP John Sambu.
When Kosgey was re-elected to Parliament in 1997, he was appointed Tourism minister at a time the country was undergoing turbulent economic times due to negative publicity the Government attracted in the international arena.
After only a year in office, Osama Bin Laden led Al Qaeda terrorist group bombed the American Embassy in Nairobi. The uphill task of restoring investor and tourism confidence fell on Kosgey’s shoulders as Tourism minister.
Later the MP was moved to Ministry of Science and Technology between 1999-2001, before taking over Ministry of Education where he served for a year tackling demands by teachers for salary increment.
For five years, he was a backbencher in Parliament after Narc coalition defeated Kanu in the 2002 General Election.
The ODM chairman, having been re-elected to Parliament, bounced back to the Cabinet as Industrialisation minister, a position he held until January 4, last year when he stepped aside following abuse of office charges.
The charges were dropped last Thursday, paving the way for his return to the Cabinet a few months before the General Election.
