Kenya's former powerful minister dies
Tuesday July 11 2017
Kenya's former powerful Cabinet Minister Nicholas Biwott has died in Nairobi aged 77. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Kenya's former powerful Cabinet minister Nicholas Kipyator Biwott is dead.
Mr Biwott, popularly known as 'Total Man', passed on at his home in Kileleshwa, Nairobi after a long illness.
Like a colossus
Born 77 years ago, Mr Biwott bestrode Kenya’s political landscape like a colossus in the post 1982 attempted coup era —helping retired President Daniel arap Moi deal with growing Opposition.
Most of his peers hold that when the story of Moi is exhaustively told, he will occupy a number of chapters.
Even though Mr Moi had a vice-president, it was an open secret that 'Total Man' was closer to the head of State and no one in the Cabinet dared to go against his word.
Nicholas Biwott when he was still serving in the Cabinet. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Sources indicate his health had taken a downward spiral in the last one year, and he had been in and out of hospital.
Personal loss
Mr Biwott's death is yet another personal loss for President Uhuru Kenyatta, coming less than a week after the demise of Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery last Saturday.
Mr Biwott’s National Vision Party of Kenya (NVP) had endorsed President Kenyatta for a second term in office and he was one of the key opinion leaders he was relying on to campaign in the North Rift region.
For a man who was an MP for 28 years, representing Keiyo South Constituency, the loss to the Orange Democratic Movement’s Jackson Kiptanui Kamai in 2007 dealt a humiliating blow to Mr Biwott who had become an institution in the regional politics.
Leaders mourn Biwott
Mr Moi has said he has lost a “dependable friend”.
He said Mr Biwott was “a dedicated public servant, an astute businessman and a philanthropist”.
“(He) initiated community projects to alleviate the suffering of the people he represented of Keiyo,” he said.
Mzee Moi said Kenya had lost a resourceful man whose service helped the nation.
Former President Daniel arap Moi and Nicholas Kipyator Biwott. Moi remembers him as a dedicated servant. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) party leader and Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto said Kenya had lost a servant.
"Biwott was one of the respected leaders in the country whose contribution on the socio-economic and political front was outstanding and will be highly missed," Mr Ruto said.
"His death is a big blow to the country.”
Mr Ruto, who was recently installed the Kipsigis community spokesman, said even after he left the Cabinet and formed the National Vision Party (NVP), Mr Biwott continued with his contribution to development and preached peace and cohesion in the society.
"Biwott contributed a lot to various development projects in Bomet County and in return his NVP party was rewarded by the voters with one member of County Assembly — John Chepkwony of Chebunyo Ward — who worked closely with CCM affiliated MCAs at the County Assembly," Mr Ruto said.
National Vision Party chairman Nicholas Biwott addresses the party's dinner meeting at a hotel in Eldoret on June 8, 2012. FILE PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Life and times
Mr Biwott served in both presidents Jomo Kenyatta and Moi regimes.
Here are key highlights of his 77-year-life journey:
- 1940: Biwott is born in Chebior village, the Keiyo District in Rift Valley Province, to Maria Soti and his father Cheserem.
Education
1951–1954: Attended Tambach Intermediate School.
1955–1958: Proceeded to Kapsabet High School, in Nandi district.
1959: Started working at the Department of Information in Eldoret.
February–December 1961: Studied at George Taylor University, Melbourne, Australia.
February 1962 – December 1964: University of Melbourne, Australia: Bachelor of Commerce, Diploma in Public Administration: majored in Economics and Political Science.
1966: Public Administration at Kenya Institute of Administration, Nairobi.
March 1966–68: Commonwealth scholarship to study Masters in Economics at University of Melbourne, Australia.
Work and politics
December 1964 – 1965: District Officer Nkubu, South Imenti Division, Meru District.
1968 - 1970: Personal assistant to Agriculture minister Bruce Mackenzie.
1971: Senior Secretary under the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mwai Kibaki.
1972: Personal assistant to Daniel Moi then the Vice-President and Home Affairs minister.
1974: Unsuccessfully ran for MP, Keiyo South Constituency.
1979: Successfully clinched Keiyo South parliamentary seat on a KANU ticket.
Retained the seat in 1983 and 1988, 1992 and 1997.
1982 – 1983: Minister of Regional Development, Science and Technology
1983 – 1988: Minister of Energy and Regional Development
1988 – 1991: Minister of Energy
1990: Implicated in the murder of Foreign Affairs Minister Robert Ouko, forcing him to quit Cabinet post.
1998 – 1999: Minister of Trade and Industry
1999 – 2001: Minister of Tourism and East African Cooperation
2001 – 2002: Minister of Trade and Industry and East African Tourism
2003: Fought with Uhuru Kenyatta over Kanu leadership before founding his own National Vision Party.
2007: Unsuccessfully vied for Keiyo South parliamentary seat, losing the seat to Jackson Kiptanui of ODM.
2013: Vied for Elgeyo Marakwet Senate seat but lost to Kipchumba Murkomen of URP