Kenneth Matiba Dead at 85
Veteran Kenyan politician Kenneth Matiba is dead. Matiba, a former MP, Cabinet Minister, opposition leader, and former presidential candidate, died on Sunday while receiving treatment at Karen Hospital. The news was confirmed by his daughter Ivy Matiba.
He was 85 years old.
Matiba has been ailing for several years after he suffered a stroke while in political detention in 1991 and was denied access to medication for a week.
In 2015, the former Kiharu MP had been admitted to the intensive care unit at the Karen Hospital after he developed respiratory complications.
In December last year, President Kenyatta visited the former opposition leader after he was admitted at the Nairobi Hospital.
Matiba , who was born on June 1st, 1932, attended Alliance High School. He entered public service at the age of 31 when he became the first indigenous African Permanent Secretary for Education in May, 1963. He was then appointed Permanent Secretary (PS) for Commerce in 1964.
He was first elected to Parliament in 1983, representing Mbiri Constituency (later renamed Kiharu Constituency) from 1979 to 1990 and again from 1992 to 1997.
He also served as Cabinet Minister in various ministries during retired President Moi’s government; Minister for Transport and Communications, Minister for Health, and Minister for Culture and Social Services.
In 1990, he was held without trial at the Kamiti Maximum Security prison alongside Charles Rubia for his fight for multiparty politics. He suffered stroke while in detention and was refused medical treatment for a week. He would be dogged by ill health for the rest of his life as a result of this, and in 2017, a court ordered the government to pay him Sh504 million as restitution for the torture(READ: Kenneth Matiba Awarded Sh504 Million for Detention, Torture). His fight for multi-part democracy led to Matiba being heralded as the icon of second liberation.
In 1992, Kenneth Matiba ran for presidency under the FORD-Asili party ticket and came in second after Daniel wrap Moi.