The life and times of Nicholas Biwott

Former powerful Cabinet Minister Nicholas Biwott who died in Nairobi aged 77. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Former powerful Cabinet minister Nicholas Kipyator Biwott has a very long history.

It is not possible to capture the life and times of this man who served in both Jomo Kenyatta's and Daniel Moi's regimes.

Here are the key highlights of his 77-year-life journey:

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  • 1940: Biwott is born in Chebior village, Keiyo District, in Rift Valley Province, to Maria Soti and his father Cheserem.

EDUCATION

  • 1951–1954: Attended Tambach Intermediate School.

  • 1955–1958: Proceeded to Kapsabet High School in Nandi district.

  • 1959: Started working at the Department of Information in Eldoret.

  • February–December 1961: study at George Taylor University, Melbourne, Australia.

  • February 1962 – Dec 1964: University of Melbourne, Australia: Bachelor of Commerce; Diploma in Public Administration.

JOB

  • December 1964 – 1965: Office of the President, Government of Kenya: employed by Office of the President seconded to Administration and appointed District Officer Nkubu, South Imenti Division, Meru District.

  • 1966: Course in Public Administration at Kenya Institute of Administration, Nairobi.

  • March 1966–68: Commonwealth scholarship to study for master's degree in economics at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

  • 1972: Personal assistant to Daniel Moi.

POLITICS

  • 1974: Unsuccessfully ran for MP, Keiyo South Constituency.

  • 1979 successfully clinched Keiyo South parliamentary seat on a Kanu ticket.

  • Retained the seat in 1983 and 1988, 1992 and 1997.

  • 1982 – 1983: Minister of Regional Development, Science and Technology

  • 1983 – 1988: Minister of Energy and Regional Development

  • 1990: Implicated in the murder of Foreign Affairs Minister Robert Ouko, forcing him to quit his Cabinet post

  • 1988 – 1991: Minister of Energy; minister of East African and Regional Co-operation

  • 1998 – 1999: Minister of Trade and Industry

  • 1999 – 2001: Tourism and East African Cooperation

  • 2001 – 2002: Minister of Trade and Industry and East African Tourism

  • 2003: Fought with Uhuru Kenyatta over Kanu leadership before founding his own National Vision Party.

  • 2007: Unsuccessfully vied for Keiyo South parliamentary seat, losing the seat to Jackson Kiptanui of ODM.

  • 2013: Vied for Elgeyo Marakwet Senate seat but lost to Kipchumba Murkomen of URP

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