Background
Robert Stanley Matano was born on 29th April 1925, first son of Mr. Stanley Kupata Mwenda and Alice Dzame Mwenda at Mazeras town, 20 kimo from the historical town of Mombasa.
Robert Stanley Matano was born on 29th April 1925, first son of Mr. Stanley Kupata Mwenda and Alice Dzame Mwenda at Mazeras town, 20 kimo from the historical town of Mombasa.
At the age of 6 years, he started his education at Mazeras Primary School. Details of his educations are: Mazeras Primary School (1930), Ribe Primary School (1933), Kaloleni Primary School (1935), Methodist Mission School now Kaaga Boys Secondary School (1939). Robert Matano constantly changed schools because his father, Stanley Mwenda was a renouned teacher. Stanley Mwenda, a strict disciplinarian, is credited as having taught the Meru community in Eastern Province of Kenya how to bury their dead.
At Alliance High School, he was elected Senior House Prefect. He was also Scout Leader, a member of the school choir, and overall school Captain, leader of Sunday Services in local schools and a member of the Dramma Club
In 1945, he passed the Mkerere University Entrance examination and joined what was then the premier college of higher education in East Africa in 1946. After 3 years of University education, he qualified as a teacher and was posted to Ribe Boys School rfrom 1949 to 1952. In 1953, he was transfered to his old school Alliance High School.where he taught Maths and Geography.
In 1953 Robert Matano was promoted to the position of Assistant Education Officer in the Rift Valley Province town of Naivasha.
In 1956, Hon Robert Matano secured a British Council bursary and travelled to Britain where he joined the Technical College, Cardiff, and tourded educational institutions in Wales. In December that year, he returned to Kenya and was posted to Kwale where he carried out the supervison and inspection of all schools. He was also manager of the District Edcation Board schools in the Disteict. In 1958 he was transfered to Mombasa. In 1961 he resigned and joined politics.
In December 1971, after the anniversary of Kenya’s independence he launched a two-year campaign to make Swahili the country's official language- In February 1972, he announced that elections inside KANU had been indefinitely postponed because 0 Kenya’s international involvement wit the Organisation for African Unity Trade Fair and other conferences.
On the death of Ronald Ngala, the Coast leader in December 1972, President Kenyatta had a minor reshuffle and Matano was the only person promoted to full minister on January 16, 1973. He became Minister for Information and Broadcasting.
In the General Elections of February, 1961, he was elected to the Legislative Counsil as a member for Kwale North. A year later in 1962 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education; a post he retained on formation of the coalition government in April, 1962
In the General elections held in 1963, he was returned to the House of Representatives as KADU member for Kwale North and was at the same time elected Vice-President of the then Coast Regional Assembly. On dissolution of KADU in 1964, he joined KANU and was later appointed Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, before moving to the Ministry of Health in May 1965.
Robert Stanley Matano married Ruth Kwekwe first daughter of Chief Elijah Rupia in 1951 Ruth Kwekwe was among the first girls from her community to be sent to school. Hon Robert Matano later married Susan Nrori.