Kenneth Matiba
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Matiba is a Kenya
n politician. He was the second-place candidate in the 1992 presidential election
.
Matiba became a senior civil servant at a young age of 31. Even before Kenya attained its independence in December 1963, Matiba had already joined the high echelons of the Kenya's civil service becoming the first indigenous African Permanent Secretary for Education in May 1963. Matiba was the fair-eyed boy of Carey Francis the Head Master of Alliance High School who lobbied for his promotion to the Permanent Secretary's position. In 1964 he was appointed the Permanent Secretaryfor Commerce under the minister Mwai Kibaki
.
Matiba's star continued to shine in the post-colonial period helped by his connections with the prominent Kiambu
family of Musa Gitau who was one of the first Africans to become the Minister of the Presbyterian Church in Kenya. Matiba's wife Edith is Musa Gitau's daughter. Musa Gitau had a hand in molding the early life of Jomo Kenyatta
having taught him at the PCEA Center at Thogoto, Kikuyu
. In the patron-client reward system that Kenyatta established after independence such connections were vital for one to succeed in public career or in business. Matiba was to later abandon his civil service career to venture into Hotel hospitality industry. He established the Alliance Group of Hostels setting his base at South Coast. He also invested in high cost private schools, including Hillcrest Preparatory (founded by Frank Thompson
) and Hillcrest Secondary School.
Kenneth Matiba was the chairman of Kenya Football Federation
from 1974 to 1978. He was elected to the Kenyan Parliament
at the 1983 general elections from Mbiri Constituency (later renamed Kiharu Constituency
) in Muranga District
. He served as a Minister of Transport and Communications, under the KANU
administration led by then president Daniel arap Moi
, but Matiba resigned from his post in December 1988.
At Moi's instructions Matiba was detained at the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison
in 1990 without trial. He was imprisoned together with Charles Rubia
, another leading figure calling for multiparty democracy. Whilst there Matiba was refused medication and suffered a massive stroke, which affected half of his body and incapacitated him for some time. Later, a multiparty system was inaugurated and Matiba was released.
He was part of the opposition alliance that formed the popular movement by the name Forum for the Restoration of Democracy
(FORD). During the December 1992 election, he was the candidate of FORD-Asili
, a party that he had helped found by splintering from the original FORD. President Moi won the elections on KANU's ticket, while Matiba placed second. Matiba won Kiharu Constituency parliamentary seat at the parliamentary elections held concurrently.
Matiba boycotted the December 1997 election
, citing lack of democracy, and even burned his voter's card.
Matiba has a long-standing rivalry with the current Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki
. Before the December 2002 election, Matiba was leader of the small Saba Saba Asili party, which declined to join the NARC
coalition. Matiba did not run for the presidency or for a parliamentary seat.
More recently, Matiba has been dogged by ill-health which stemmed from his imprisonment years before. Additionally, his business empire has suffered with first his hotel chain briefly being taken into administration, although he has since regained control, and then his Hillcrest Schools being sold by administrators, a case which he took to court. He has since regained control of the school which he later sold to a consortium led by Fanisi.
Matiba is also founder of The People newspaper. It started as a weekly in 1992, but turned to daily in 1998. The paper is one problem contributing to Matiba's troubled finances.
As of 2008, he is still the chairman of Saba Saba Asili. In addition, he has re-registered as a voter. In November 2007, he announced that he would be a presidential candidate in the December 2007 election
. He placed seventh with 8,046 votes.
Matiba lives in Riara Ridge in Rironi, near Limuru
(as of 2010). He is married to Edith
His son Raymond Matiba is former chairman of the Kenya Tourist Board.
In 2000 he released his autobiography "Aiming High"
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n politician. He was the second-place candidate in the 1992 presidential election
Kenyan general election, 1992
General elections were held in Kenya on 29 December 1992. Although they were the first multi-party elections since independence, the results were marred by allegations of ballot-box stuffing, and targeted ethnic violence in the Rift Valley Province...
.
Matiba became a senior civil servant at a young age of 31. Even before Kenya attained its independence in December 1963, Matiba had already joined the high echelons of the Kenya's civil service becoming the first indigenous African Permanent Secretary for Education in May 1963. Matiba was the fair-eyed boy of Carey Francis the Head Master of Alliance High School who lobbied for his promotion to the Permanent Secretary's position. In 1964 he was appointed the Permanent Secretaryfor Commerce under the minister Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki is the current and third President of the republic of Kenya.Kibaki was previously Vice President of Kenya for ten years from 1978–1988 and also held cabinet ministerial positions, including a widely acclaimed stint as Minister for Finance , Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for...
.
Matiba's star continued to shine in the post-colonial period helped by his connections with the prominent Kiambu
Kiambu District
Kiambu District is an administrative district in the Central Province of Kenya. Its capital town is Kiambu. The district is adjacent to the northern border of Nairobi and has a population of 744,010....
family of Musa Gitau who was one of the first Africans to become the Minister of the Presbyterian Church in Kenya. Matiba's wife Edith is Musa Gitau's daughter. Musa Gitau had a hand in molding the early life of Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyattapron.] served as the first Prime Minister and President of Kenya. He is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation....
having taught him at the PCEA Center at Thogoto, Kikuyu
Kikuyu, Kenya
Kikuyu is a town in the Central Province of Kenya. The town is located 20 km northwest of central Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Kikuyu hosts a town council and an administrative division in the Kiambu District....
. In the patron-client reward system that Kenyatta established after independence such connections were vital for one to succeed in public career or in business. Matiba was to later abandon his civil service career to venture into Hotel hospitality industry. He established the Alliance Group of Hostels setting his base at South Coast. He also invested in high cost private schools, including Hillcrest Preparatory (founded by Frank Thompson
Frank Thompson
Frank Thompson, Jr. was a Democratic Party politician from New Jersey. Thompson represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1955 to 1980....
) and Hillcrest Secondary School.
Kenneth Matiba was the chairman of Kenya Football Federation
Kenya Football Federation
The Kenya Football Federation was the governing body of football in Kenya. It was founded in 1960 and affiliated to FIFA same year. It organized the Kenya Premier League and the Kenya national football team...
from 1974 to 1978. He was elected to the Kenyan Parliament
National Assembly of Kenya
The unicameral National Assembly of Kenya is the country's legislative body.The current National Assembly has a total of 224 members. 210 members are directly elected in single member constituencies using the simple majority system...
at the 1983 general elections from Mbiri Constituency (later renamed Kiharu Constituency
Kiharu Constituency
Kiharu Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of three constituencies of Muranga District. The Muranga town is located within this constituency...
) in Muranga District
Muranga District
Murang'a is one of the districts of Kenya's Central Province. Its capital town is also now named Murang'a but was called Fort Hall in colonial times . It is inhabited mainly by and is considered the home of the Kikuyu, the largest community in Kenya. The district has a population of 942,581...
. He served as a Minister of Transport and Communications, under the KANU
Kenya African National Union
The Kenya African National Union, better known as KANU is a political party which ruled Kenya for nearly 40 years after its independence from British colonial rule in 1963, until its electoral loss at the end of 2002...
administration led by then president Daniel arap Moi
Daniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'...
, but Matiba resigned from his post in December 1988.
At Moi's instructions Matiba was detained at the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison
Kamiti Maximum Security Prison
Kamiti Maximum Security Prison is a prison in Nairobi, Kenya. It is located in the agricultural district of Kiambu. Originally named "Kamiti Downs", it sits in the middle of its own estates which lie fallow and untended....
in 1990 without trial. He was imprisoned together with Charles Rubia
Charles Rubia
Charles Wanyoike Rubia was the first African mayor of Nairobi. He later joined Parliament where he rose to the cabinet. In 1990, together with Hon. Kenneth Matiba, Rubia led the calls for multi-party democracy and was subsequently detained by President Daniel arap Moi...
, another leading figure calling for multiparty democracy. Whilst there Matiba was refused medication and suffered a massive stroke, which affected half of his body and incapacitated him for some time. Later, a multiparty system was inaugurated and Matiba was released.
He was part of the opposition alliance that formed the popular movement by the name Forum for the Restoration of Democracy
Forum for the Restoration of Democracy
Forum for the Restoration of Democracy was a political party and a movement against one-party system in Kenya. However, it split before the 1992 General elections, the first multiparty elections held in Kenya....
(FORD). During the December 1992 election, he was the candidate of FORD-Asili
Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Asili
The Forum for the Restoration of Democracy–Asili is a political party in Kenya. It is commonly known as FORD-Asili. Asili means 'original' in SwahiliFORD-Asili has its origins in the original Forum for the Restoration of Democracy...
, a party that he had helped found by splintering from the original FORD. President Moi won the elections on KANU's ticket, while Matiba placed second. Matiba won Kiharu Constituency parliamentary seat at the parliamentary elections held concurrently.
Matiba boycotted the December 1997 election
Kenyan general election, 1997
General elections were held in Kenya on 29 December 1997. The result was a victory for the ruling Kenya African National Union, which won 107 of the 210 seats in the National Assembly, and whose candidate Daniel arap Moi won the presidential election...
, citing lack of democracy, and even burned his voter's card.
Matiba has a long-standing rivalry with the current Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki is the current and third President of the republic of Kenya.Kibaki was previously Vice President of Kenya for ten years from 1978–1988 and also held cabinet ministerial positions, including a widely acclaimed stint as Minister for Finance , Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for...
. Before the December 2002 election, Matiba was leader of the small Saba Saba Asili party, which declined to join the NARC
National Rainbow Coalition
The National Rainbow Coalition was a coalition of Kenyan political parties in power from 2002 and 2005 when it fell apart in a controversy between its wings about a constitutional referendum.-Formation:...
coalition. Matiba did not run for the presidency or for a parliamentary seat.
More recently, Matiba has been dogged by ill-health which stemmed from his imprisonment years before. Additionally, his business empire has suffered with first his hotel chain briefly being taken into administration, although he has since regained control, and then his Hillcrest Schools being sold by administrators, a case which he took to court. He has since regained control of the school which he later sold to a consortium led by Fanisi.
Matiba is also founder of The People newspaper. It started as a weekly in 1992, but turned to daily in 1998. The paper is one problem contributing to Matiba's troubled finances.
As of 2008, he is still the chairman of Saba Saba Asili. In addition, he has re-registered as a voter. In November 2007, he announced that he would be a presidential candidate in the December 2007 election
Kenyan presidential election, 2007
A presidential election was held as part of the Kenyan general election on December 27, 2007; parliamentary elections were held on the same date. Incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner and sworn in on December 30, despite opposition leader Raila Odinga's claims of victory...
. He placed seventh with 8,046 votes.
Matiba lives in Riara Ridge in Rironi, near Limuru
Limuru
Limuru is a town in central Kenya. It is also the name of a parliamentary constituency and an administrative division. Current 2004 population is about 4800....
(as of 2010). He is married to Edith
His son Raymond Matiba is former chairman of the Kenya Tourist Board.
In 2000 he released his autobiography "Aiming High"