Update: Former President Mwai Kibaki passed away on Friday, April 22, 2022. President Uhuru Kenyatta announced.
As Kenya celebrates former President Mwai Kibaki's 89th birthday, his legacy and impact will undoubtedly be remembered for a very long time.
During his term, Kibaki established projects that shaped the country’s economic path to vision 2030. Known for his hysterical remarks, he crafted a decade of memorable moments forever etched in the minds of many. However, there are a few moments that have managed to remain relatively unknown to many.
Kenyans.co.ke takes a look at some of the little known moments of the former Commander-in-Chief.
Stranded in Kisumu After Flight Delay
Kibaki was once stranded at the Kisumu International Airport in December 2016. He was among 44 other passengers who were delayed to board a domestic flight to Nairobi.
The former Head of State had been caught up in the delay hours after attending a graduation ceremony at the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) in Kakamega County.
This prompted a quick response from the former Kenya Airways Chief Executive Officer, Mbuvi Ngunze who pointed out that during peak seasons, flights would occasionally experience rotational delays.
Reads Wrong Speech
Mwai Kibaki at one point stopped his speech halfway after realizing that it was for a past event.
Speaking during the launch of the Kenya Integrated Water Sanitation and Hygiene Project (KIWASH) and Kenya Resilient Arid Lands Partnership for Integrated Development (KRAPID) programmes in February 2016, he apologised to those in attendance informing them that the speech was for a previous function.
The incident amused Kenyans as it came as a reminder of a past event, in which Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe read a full speech from a past occasion during the opening of the country's Parliament.
Worked as Bus Conductor
Details from the Ministry of ICT publication, the Kenya Yearbook, revealed that Kibaki once worked as a conductor for the Othaya African Bus Union over the school holidays in order to earn pocket money.
Kibaki who schooled at Mathari School (now Nyeri High) and Mangu High also possessed skills in carpentry and masonry, as students back then were expected to repair furniture and maintain school buildings.
In his final year at Mangu, he had considered joining the army but his ambition was cut short following an order by the Colonial Secretary, Walter Coutts, who prohibited the recruitment of the Gikuyu, Embu and Meru communities into the army.
Receives Hall of fame Honours
The former Head of State was inducted into the 2018 Kenya Open Hall of Fame. Kibaki, who is the patron of the Kenya Golf Union, was handed the honours for his contribution to the sport.
He was among twelve people who received the prestigious award during the 50th year of the golf tournament. Kibaki had been an ardent fan of the sport since back in the day as he would attend various Sports Club events.
During these events, he would advocate for the nurturing of youth's talents primarily in playing golf.
