Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki

At the AU's Banjul summit last July 'eminent person' Graça Machel of Mozambique gave President Mwai Kibaki's government high marks on several counts: political freedom low dependency on aid efforts at peacemaking in East Africa kick-starting economic growth and providing free primary education...

President Mwai Kibaki and his National Alliance Rainbow Coalition are still favourites to win December’s general elections against the largest opposition grouping the broad-based Orange Democratic Movement led by Raila Amolo Odinga...

The opposition Orange Democratic Movement held an exuberant end-of-year rally on 9 December mocking President Mwai Kibaki's government and its new allies...

THE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNERS NAME PARTY SUPPORT BASE CHANCES Mwai Kibaki NARC-Kenya Central Province (Nyeri and environs national alliances through party network) Favourite helped by incumbency Kalonzo Musyoka ODM Ukambani Eastern Province Second favourite liked across Kenya but criticised as lightweight Raila Odinga ODM Luo Nyanza the most loyal but not biggest base Joint third favourite criticised for autocratic style Uhuru Kenyatta KANU Central Province and youth vote Joint third favourite came second in 2002 Musalia Mudavadi ODM Maragoli Western Province Strong compromise candidate William Ruto ODM Kalenjin Rift Valley Province Powerful vote-getter lacks national support Najib Balala ODM Coast Province and Muslim vote Popular but untried in senior jobs Julia Ojiambo ODM Samia Western Province and women Too junior in hierarchy Nicholas Biwott KANU Kalenjin Rift Valley Province Too unpopular to make a serious run ...

President Mwai Kibaki's government has also been coy about who owns Mobitelea although their names are widely known in Nairobi business circles...

Former President Daniel arap Moi's endorsement of Nicholas Kipyator Biwott on 25 November as Chairman of the Kenya African National Union (KANU) instead of Uhuru Kenyatta was designed to scupper hopes for a broad-based opposition against President Mwai Kibaki's government...

It was clear that these contracts and the Anglo-Leasing passport scandal which prompted the dismissal of three of President Mwai Kibaki's Ministers Chris Murungaru (Security and Transport) Kiraitu Murungi (Justice and Energy) and David Mwiraria (Finance) had become the government's biggest political liability and a symbol of its failure to tackle corruption (AC Vol 45 No 15)...

Its most politically explosive recommendation is for the prosecution for tax evasion and corporate fraud of Winnie Wangui the daughter of President Mwai Kibaki and his second wife Mary Wambui...

Suddenly President Mwai Kibaki's political fortunes are looking up again and the idea of him running for re-election next year looks less ludicrous...

Mwai Kibaki now commands a narrow lead which could disappear if the opposition manages to cast him as a Kikuyu-only leader as they did in the November 2005 referendum...

With Finance Minister Amos Muhinga Kimunya he was making a virtue of necessity: most aid has been suspended or cut because Western countries think President Mwai Kibaki's government is not doing enough to stop corruption or drug exports...