By Kuria Kimani
Professor Kivutha Kibwana is the current Makueni Governor and has set his eyes for the presidency in the forthcoming 2022 General Election. The seasoned politician has been ranked among the best performing Governors in Kenya. It is yet to be seen how Kenyans will warm up to his candidature. This writer takes a look at the illustrious life of the Makueni Governor.
Age and Place of Birth
The legislator is 66 years old. He was born in Mwanyani in Makueni on 13 June 1954.
Education Background
Governor Kivutha took education seriously and this can be seen on how he professionally runs Makueni county. He was a pupil at Nduunduno Primary before joining Machakos School for his O’ and A’ levels. He then began his Legal journey at UoN pursuing a Bachelor of Law. The soft spoken legislator joined the University of London, George Washington University, and Havard University for his LLM.
Career Journey
The legal practitioner and long-term politician started his career at the National Convention Executive Council (NCEC) as the spokesperson before he went into Academia. He held several positions in his time including being Dean of the Law associate professor at UoN.
His political career started in 2002 in his election as Makueni MP. He later became Minister for Environment and Natural Resources and for Lands and Settlements. During His Excellency Mwai Kibaki’s terms in office, Governor Kibwana was very instrumental in his leadership as he was key in shaping policy of the ex-president. He was President Kibaki’s advisor for Constitutional, Parliamentary and Youth Affairs.
In 2013, he was elected to represent the people of Makueni as their governor. His experience in public office shaped his leadership. However, he faced a difficult first term in office over frictional relationships with Wiper Party Members of County Assembly. The county government comprised two heavily polarized groups that resulted in a proposal to dissolve the government. The proposal was however overruled by the president and measures were put in place to have county operations running.
He is ranked as one of the best performing governors in the country evidenced in excellent utilization of public funds, enactment of the Universal Health Coverage and empowering citizens through projects such as agro-processing.
In most recent developments, Governor Kibwana has announced his 2022 presidential bid despite being an ally of the Deputy President Dr. William Ruto. He launched the bid asking citizens to endorse his candidacy through an email address provided – kongamanolamageuzi@gmail.com. He aims to implement change in the country in a pro-change movement named Kongamano la Mageuzi (KLM).
Personal Life
He is married to Nazi Kivutha, better known as Makueni County’s First Lady, since 1978.
Governor Kibwana is also a writer who has penned more than five books. Most of his writing is geared towards constitutionalism and Kenyan affairs. Some of his books include ‘Law and the Status of Women in Kenya’ and ‘Making our Constitution’. He has made his position regarding the Building Bridges Initiative tagging it as ‘unconstitutional’.
The governor has recently brought it into the public that he is being watched by unidentified individuals who survey his homestead using drones and had his phone hacked.
Net worth and Assets
The governor’s net worth is yet to be established and information detailing his asset portfolio remains unavailable to the public.
Contacts
Twitter – @governorkibwana
