Mwai Kibaki's economic legacy

By Joshua Cheloti Kenya’s third President Mwai Kibaki was confirmed to have passed on on Friday, April 22, 2022. President Uhuru Kenyatta confirmed the news of his death in a state of the nation address. Kibaki whose full name is Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013. He is today rated among the best President Kenya has ever had, largely because of the economic revolution that his administration introduced in the country. As Kenyans continue to mourn the former Head of State, we take a look at some of the economic legacy that he left; Economic growth During his first term, Kibaki managed to steer the economic growth from 0.6 percent in 2013 to 7 percent in 2007. And despite the economic slump that the country witnessed after the 2007/08 Post Election Violence, the former President still managed to record economic growth, from 1.7 percent in 2008 to 5 percent in 2011. Infrastructure It is during the Mwai Kibaki era that the country witnessed massive infrastructural development. There was a boom in the telecommunications sector as well as the modernization and rebuilding of other infrastructures. Many roads were built, the main one, which still remains in the minds of most Kenyans being the Thika Super Highway. CDF It was during the Kibaki presidency that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), now referred to as the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) was introduced. The fund has since then helped improve water, health, and education facilities in all parts of the country including remote areas. Vision 2030 Kibaki as the President also oversaw the creation of Kenya's Vision 2030, a long-term development plan that was aimed at raising GDP growth to 10 percent annually and transforming Kenya into a middle-income country by 2030. He unveiled it on 30 October 2006, and to date, the country is still working towards achieving this vision. Other key areas that boomed during the Kibaki presidency are the financial sector where several new banks and financial institutions were created as well as the now vibrant bodaboda industry.