Mwai Kibaki celebrates 87th birthday

Former President Mwai Kibaki. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Kenyans took to social media to wish Mr Kibaki a happy birthday, highlighting his major achievements as president.

  • Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga said the former president had achieved a lot in his two terms.

Retired President Mwai Kibaki Thursday celebrated his 87th birthday at his Muthaiga home in Nairobi.

His spokesman, Mr Ngare Gituku, declined to give details of the celebration, saying it was a private function.

Kenyans took to social media to wish Mr Kibaki a happy birthday, highlighting his major achievements as president.

In his message, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga said the former president had achieved a lot in his two terms.

“As a county, we continue to benefit from his wisdom and insight. We wish him a happy birthday and pray that God gives him a long life,” he said.

But a row erupted after Mr Kibaki's office denied reports that it had given Governor Kahiga consent to rename the Othaya Level Six Hospital after the former president.

According to a statement doing, the governor, accompanied by Othaya MP Gichuki Mugambi, visited the former president at his Mweiga home in Nyeri two weeks ago.

But spokesman Gituku denied knowledge of such a meeting.

The governor’s office maintained that he had an informal meeting with Mr Kibaki but was not accompanied by his press team, which is why there are no photos or video footage of the meeting.

During a visit to the hospital in July this year, Governor Kahiga and Health Principal Secretary Peter Tum announced that the Sh1 billion Othaya hospital had been renamed the Mwai Kibaki Teaching and Referral Hospital in honour of the former President.

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to officially open it later this month.

The hospital will be run by the national government, and will serve patients from central Kenya counties seeking specialised treatment.

The 350-bed facility had stalled for seven years, until the national government provided funds towards its completion last year.

The idea of renaming the hospital was mooted by the area MP, who reasoned that it is one of Mr Kibaki’s legacies.

The retired President also served as Othaya MP between 1974 and 2013.

Two weeks ago the President opened the Karatina open-air market, whose construction began started during the Mr Kibaki’s regime under the Economic Stimuli Programme.