Uhuru Kenyatta

Uhuru Kenyatta
Name	Uhuru Kenyatta
Caption	Kenyatta in 2015
Office	4th President of Kenya
Term start	9 April 2013
Term end	13 September 2022
Vicepresident	William Ruto
Predecessor	Mwai Kibaki
Successor	William Ruto
Office2	Member of Parliament for Gatundu South
Term start2	2002
Term end2	2013
Predecessor2	Moses Mwihia
Successor2	Moses Kuria
Party	Kenya African National Union (before 2012), The National Alliance (2012–2016), Jubilee Party of Kenya (2016–present)
Birth date	26 October 1961
Birth place	Nairobi, Kenya Colony
Spouse	Margaret Gakuo (m. 1991)
Alma mater	Amherst College (BA)
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Uhuru Kenyatta is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth President of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. The son of Jomo Kenyatta, the nation's founding president, he led the Jubilee Party of Kenya and previously held the cabinet portfolio for Finance. His presidency was marked by major infrastructure projects like the Standard Gauge Railway and a foreign policy focused on East African Community integration, though his tenure was also shaped by the International Criminal Court cases following the 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis.

Early life and education

Born in Nairobi during the final years of the Kenya Colony, he is the son of Jomo Kenyatta and his fourth wife, Mama Ngina Kenyatta. He attended St. Mary's School in Nairobi before pursuing his secondary education at the International School of Tanganyika in Dar es Salaam. For his university studies, he moved to the United States, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political science and Economics from Amherst College in Massachusetts in 1985. His early exposure to politics was deeply influenced by his family's central role in the post-independence landscape of Kenya.

Business career

Before entering politics, Kenyatta built a significant profile in the private sector, primarily within the family's vast business interests. He served as the chairman of the Kenya Tourism Board and held directorship roles in several companies, including the media group The Standard. His business portfolio expanded into large-scale commercial farming, with holdings in dairy, tea, and horticulture across tracts of land in Kiambu County. This period established his connections with Kenya's corporate elite and provided a financial base independent of his political lineage.

Political career

His formal political career began under President Daniel arap Moi, who appointed him as the chairman of the Kenya African National Union (KANU) in 2000. He subsequently served as Member of Parliament for Gatundu South Constituency from 2002. Following the National Rainbow Coalition victory in the 2002 Kenyan general election, he became the official Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. He later joined the government of President Mwai Kibaki, holding the pivotal cabinet positions of Minister of State for Internal Security and, later, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance from 2009 to 2012, a role in which he managed the response to the 2007–2008 Kenyan financial crisis.

Presidency (2013–2022)

Elected in the 2013 Kenyan general election, his first term focused on the Kenya Vision 2030 development blueprint, launching flagship projects like the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway and the Standard Gauge Railway financed largely by loans from Exim Bank of China. His administration faced significant challenges, including the Garissa University College attack by al-Shabaab and the protracted legal proceedings at the International Criminal Court regarding the 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis, which were eventually dropped. Re-elected in the contentious 2017 Kenyan general election, which was annulled by the Supreme Court of Kenya, he won the repeat poll and his second term emphasized the Big Four Agenda focusing on manufacturing, universal health care, affordable housing, and food security.

Post-presidency and international roles

Since leaving office in 2022 after the election of his deputy, William Ruto, Kenyatta has remained active in regional diplomacy. He was appointed as the African Union's Peace Envoy for the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa, tasked with mediating conflicts in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He also leads the Azimio la Umoja coalition in Kenya and serves as the Chancellor of Kenyatta University, maintaining a influential, albeit less direct, role in the nation's political discourse and East African Community affairs.

Personal life

He married Margaret Gakuo in 1991, and the couple has three children: Jomo, Jaba, and Ngina. A devout Roman Catholic, his faith has been a consistent aspect of his public persona. The family resides primarily at their home in Ichaweri, Gatundu, within Kiambu County. Outside politics, he is known as an avid equestrian and has a noted collection of saddles, and he maintains a strong affiliation with the Kenya Wildlife Service, reflecting a lifelong commitment to conservation efforts.

Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:Presidents of Kenya Category:Kenyan politicians