1. MZEE JOMO KENYATTA
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was at Moscow State University for two years and studied studied Anthropology under Bronislaw Malinowski at the London School of Economics on his return to England.Kenyatta’s Thesis was published in 1938.He met other black Nationals and writers and was part of the protests against the Itallian invasion of Ethiopia in 1930 when he came together with the communist party.
In September 1946 Kenyatta returned to Kenya to assume leadership of the newly created Kenya African Union whereby in June 1947 he was elected president. The dis agreement which was predicted in 1930 among the kikuyu erupted as the Mau Mau rebellion of 1952 and was as a result of the European ownership of land and their presence as well.
Kenyatta was arrested in October 1952 and accused of having being the master mind behind the Mau Mau movement. He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for being the ring leader of the Mau Mau terrorist organization in April 1953.Mzee Jomo Kenyatta did not agree with the charges and denied that the Kenya African Union political activities were not violet at all.
In August 1961 Kenyatta was released and he managed to negotiate the constitutional terms which lead to Kenya’s Independence. In 1963 kanu won the pre- independence election in the month of May and Kenya’s independence was celebrated in December 12th 1963 whereby Kenyatta was the prime minister.
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’s government was fair and friendly to the west despite the British having imprisoned him. He ensured Kenya was the most stable black African country and the economy was top notch. Kenyatta died in 1978 in Mombasa and Daniel Arap Moi took over as the next president who continued with Kenyatta’s policies.
2.DANIEL TOROTICH ARAP MOI
Daniel Toritich Arap Moi was Kenya’s second president born in September 1924 in Sacho ,Baringo.Moi took over as president when kenyatta died in 1978.He served from 1978-2002 and he was Kenya’s longest president.Moi trainned as a teacher at the Tambach teachers training college and there after got into politics and was elected as the member of the Legislative Council for Rift Valley.
The Kenyan legislation that Moi Joined made a visit to London for the Lancaster House Conference which was his approach as independence come closer. This is where the first post election conference was drafted. Moi founded the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU)which was Kenyatta’s rival party Kenya African National Union (KANU).
Former president Moi’s rule was perceived as that of dictatorships before 1992 when the country was a one party state. His close friend and confidant was tycoon businessman Tahir Sheikh Said who was famous for importing a a huge number of grain during his rule. Amnesty International an human rights organization accused Moi of human rights abuse during his tenure. At the end oh his rule it was found out that he was involved in corruption and the 1990 Goldenberg Scandal.
Moi decided to retire in 2002 and chose Uhuru Kenyatta the son of the late Kenya’s first president as his successor. Mwai Kibaki was elected president instead by a two to one majority over Kenyatta .Moi handed over power in a ceremony that was disorganized with a huge number in attendance who were very hostile to Moi.
In 2020 at the Nairobi hospital Moi passed on at the age of 95 years old.His memorial was done at his Karbanet gardens home in Nairobi. He was accorded a state funeral service and later on laid to rest at hid Kabarak home in 12th February 2020.
3.MWAI KIBAKI
Mwai Kibaki was born in Othaya on November 15, 1931.He was married to Lucy Muthoni until her death in 2016 and they were blessed with four children.He was Kenya’s third president who served from December 2002 to april 2013.He was previously the Vice-President of Kenya under President Daniel Arap moi from 1978 to 1988.He was elected Kenya’s president in the year 2002.
Kibaki was injured in road accident while on his way back from Nairobi from a campaign meeting at Machakos junction on the December 2002.He was on a wheelchair following the accident and had to move using it for months after his presidency. The consequences of the accident were clearly evident on his walking style.
Mwai Kibaki was sworn in on 30th December while still nursing injuries from the accident and was in a wheelchair at Uhuru park in Nairobi city with thousnads of supporters cheering on.Kibaki sweering in maked the end of KANU era which ruled for 24 years.
He introduced Free Primary Education initiative in 2003 which gave an opportuity for children who could not afford school feels a chance to attend school.In 2013 he commissioned the well known Equity Group foundation wings to Fly.
Kibaki was sworn in at State house Nairobi for his second term in 2007 and this lead to tension by protestors who had the feeling that he had refused to repect the verdict of the people was in office by force.Mr.Raila Odinga accused Kibaki of electoral fraud immmediately the results were announced.This lead to post election Violencewhich lead to death of many Kenyans.
Kofi Annan who was United Nations Secretary- General was the one who mediated and saved the country together with other African personalities. A National accord was signed in February 2008 between Raila Odinga and Kibaki with Kibaki remaining as the president and Raila taking a newly re-elected post of Prime Minister.
Uhuru Kenyatta took over power from kibaki on 9th April 2013.
Kibaki died on 21 April 2022 at the age of 90 years.
4.UHURU MUIGAI KENYATTA
Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta is the son to the late Mzee Jomo kenyatta who was Kenya’s first president.Uhuru was born on 26th October 1961 .His mothers name is Mama Ngina Kenyatta.Uhuru has two sisters and a brother and is the second born in the family.In 1991 he got married to Margaret Gakuo Kenyatta with whom they are blessed with three children.
Uhuru studied econimics,political science and government at Amherst College in the United states and thereafter started a company by the name Wilham Kenya limited which dealt with the export of Agricultural produce.In 1999 he was nominated to parliament and became the minister for the Minister of for local Goverment which was under president Daniel Torich Arap Moi.The late former president favoured Uhuru as his successor.
In the 2002 presidential elections Uhuru Kenyatta ran as KANU’s candidate but lost to opposition candidate Mwai Kibakia and became the leader opposition in parloiment and backed Mwai Kibaki in 2007 presidential elections .He was named minister of Local goverment in 2008 and appointed as the Deputy Prime minister of Trade in April 2008.
Uhuru resigned as minister of Finance in 2012 and was elected as the 4th president of kenya in march 2013 presidential election defeating Raila odinga and sworn in as president on 9th April 2013.Kenyatta was accused of funding violence in Naivasha and Nakuru by the International Criminal court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo.He was accused of organizing Kikuyu political religious group the Mugiki in the post election violence in 2007.
Uhuru kenyatta’s rule came to end an after his presidential term ended in September 2022 and he handed in power to William Samaoei Ruto.
5.WILLIAM SAMOEI RUTO
William Samoei Ruto is Kenya’s 5th president as well as the current sitting president.He was sworn in on September 2022.Ruto was borrn on 21st December 1966.
Ruto’s wife is known as Rachel Chebet with whom they are Blessed with six children. They officiated their marriage in a church ceremony at the African Inland Church in the year 1991.
President Ruto holds a Bachelors’ Degree in Botany and Zoology from the University of Nairobi which he acquired in 1990.He enrolled again at the same University of Nairobi to finish up his MScin plant Ecology and then thereafter in December 2018 graduated with a Ph.D.
When he graduted in 1990 from the University of Nairobi he ws emplolyed as temporary teacher in the NorthRift region for two years.After the general elections which were held on 9th August and Ruto was announced as the victor and he had won the presidential election defeating Raila Odinga.
Raila Odiga disputed the presidential results and filled a petition which the supreme court disputed after thoroughly examining the evidence presented. The elections results were upheld and Ruto was declared the victor as their was no evidence that the elections were rigged.
