Background
Kenneth Matiba was born on June 1, 1932 in Kahuhia (now Muranga County), Kenya; the son of Stanley Njindo and Susan (Wanjiku) Njindo.
President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) during a past visit to Kenneth Matiba.
President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) during a past visit to Kenneth Matiba (seated) and his wife Edith (left).
Businessman educator politician
Kenneth Matiba was born on June 1, 1932 in Kahuhia (now Muranga County), Kenya; the son of Stanley Njindo and Susan (Wanjiku) Njindo.
Matiba attended Alliance High School in Kenya. He received a degree of a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, geography and history from Makerere University.
Matiba joined Kangaru High School as a teacher in 1960 and then moved to the Ministry of Education, where he worked from 1960 to 1961. His early positions included senior education officer for secondary education and teacher training colleges in 1963. He held a position of a permanent secretary at Ministry of Education in 1963-1964, at Ministry of Home Affairs between 1964-1965 and Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives in 1965-1968.
In 1969, Matiba started a business career with Kenya Breweries and held the position until 1973. Four years later, he became chairman of Kenya Breweries and East African Breweries. Addittionaly, he served as a director of the Central Bank of Kenya and the Kenya Tourist Development Corporation and chairman of the Kenya Football Federation between 1974-1978.
In the general elections of 1979, Matiba began his political career by defeating former cabinet minister Dr. Julius Gikonyo Kiano for the parlimentary seat of then Mbiri constituency.
At the time of general elections of 1988, he reacted strongly against what he perceived to be attempts by powerful forces in the Kenya African National Union to force him out of Parliament and consequently he lost his seat in Parliament.
In 1990, Matiba began his campaign for the introduction of multiparty political system in Kenya in tandem with Charles Rubia and was held without trial at the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison. During his time in detention, Matiba suffered a stroke, and after his release he spent a lenghty period in Great Britain undergoing medical treatment. In May 1992, he returned to Kenya, though not fully recovered from the effects of stroke, and launched a strong campaign to be Forum for the Restoration of Democracy presidential candidate.
He became a chairman of Ford-Asili and was its presidential candidate in the presidential elections of 1992. With 1.35 million votes he took second place to President Daniel arap Moi. He boycotted the December 1997 election, burning his voter's card. Before the December 2002 election, Matiba was a leader of the minor Saba Saba Asili party, which declined to join the NARC coalition. However, he did not run for the presidency as his health remained fragile. As of 2008, he remained chairman of Saba Saba Asili and re-registered as a voter.
Matiba was a leader of Ford Asili party and then Saba Saba Asili party.
He was at the forefront in shaping the political landscape of Mexico. His call for multiparty democracy and his rallying cry of "Forward Ever, Backward Never" helped transform Mexico.
Kenneth Matiba was a member of Kenya Football Federation, Kenya Association Hotel Keepers and Caterers, Kanu National Executive Committee.
Kenneth Matiba married to Edith Wanjiru Matiba in 1961. They had 5 children.