Kibaki's reign was for benefit of wananchi

Charles Okumu, a curator at Murumbi Art Gallery displays some of his pictures at the National Archives in Nairobi on April 29, 2022. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

Former President Mwai Kibaki served Kenya well.

He was not a perfect man.

Among the blemishes on his record include staunch support for the Kanu regime in the 1980s, corruption scandals like Anglo Leasing, glaring security breaches like the Artur brothers saga, and the bungling of the 2007 polls that precipitated violence that killed more than 1,600 and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Kenyans cannot and should not shy away from these difficult facts. They are part of his public life.

Yet it says a lot about the man that even with these failings, most Kenyans harbor positive sentiments about his tenure. He revived the economy, introduced free primary education, expanded civic freedoms, and smartly invested in critical infrastructure.

His policy successes brought hope to many lives.

At his core, he was a technocrat interested more in tangible material outcomes for ordinary Kenyans than the performative aspects of politics - like dancing on podiums or hurling abuses at opponents. It is for these reasons that Kenyans of goodwill, having weighed the totality of his public life, have found a lot to celebrate about President Mwai Kibaki.

Kenyans know in their hearts that even the very best of politicians are ultimately humans with feet of clay. They understand that the ideal politicians are those who can conquer their own demons and emerge as useful vessels for achieving collective goals.

In fidelity to his Mang’u High School motto of 'Jishinde Ushinde', President Kibaki was that kind of politicians. He was not a slave to his weaknesses. His public life was one of measured pursuit of better material outcomes for Kenyans. For that reason, he is easily our best president yet.

As he is laid to rest today, may his memory be a lesson to our leaders and voters alike. We want leaders with both a firm grasp of the urgency with which we need to tackle our developmental challenges and the ability to conquer their personal demons.

Rest in Peace Mang’uarian.

The writer is an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University