Painful experience for Kibaki

President Kibaki on Saturday bade farewell to yet another key political ally, confidant and pillar of his 10-year presidency.

Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti shelved his presidential ambitions in 2002 for the President, and went on to hold key dockets in Mr Kibaki’s administration.

Prof Saitoti is the third close person that President Kibaki has lost this year.

In February, the President lost two other key allies – Mr John Michuki, who at one time held the Internal Security docket, and Mr Njenga Karume, who served as Defence minister in the President’s first term.

With these losses, the President is perhaps becoming a lonely man at the helm of government after bidding farewell to many of his political friends who could be considered age-mates.
His tributes to the three men have had a personal touch.

Speaking at Saitoti’s requiem Mass on Friday, the President said: “As a personal friend to whom I entrusted one of the most crucial dockets in government, the loss of Professor Saitoti has been a painful experience for me.”

Prof Saitoti was handed the crucial role of implementing the free primary education programme in the first year of President Kibaki’s first term.

Despite experiencing teething problems, the programme has been praised globally and has extended to the secondary level. President Kibaki zeroed in on this achievement in his tribute.

“Personally, I will always be thankful to Professor Saitoti for the competent manner in which he implemented the policy of free primary education, which has remained very close to my heart since we introduced it nine years ago.”