Former Makueni Governor Prof. Kivutha Kibwana has revealed that leading a county was never part of his initial ambitions.
Speaking on Thursday December 5, 2024, Kibwana shared that his original goal was to chair the Constitution Implementation Commission (CIC), a position he actively pursued but ultimately did not secure.
“I didn’t really plan to be a governor,” Kibwana said. “I thought I was going to be chair of the Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution, but those days, to get that position, there had to be concurrence between Hon. Raila Odinga and President Kibaki.”
Kibwana explained that while he performed well in the interviews, the lack of agreement between the grand coalition government leaders ,President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga meant he did not get the role.
After a conversation with President Kibaki, who confirmed the position was out of reach, Kibwana pivoted to electoral politics and ran for governor.
He further noted that even his decision to enter parliament was linked to his commitment to constitutional reforms. At the time, Kibwana believed that being a parliamentarian would enhance his chances of contributing to Kenya’s constitutional changes.
“I became a member of parliament because I thought the Constitution had reached a point where the decision was going to be made in parliament. I wanted to play a role in its implementation,” he said, reflecting on his journey as an activist involved in constitutional reform.
During his two terms as Makueni Governor, Kibwana distinguished himself as one of Kenya’s top-performing county leaders, frequently topping rankings and earning widespread acclaim for his transformative governance.
