Since independence, Kenya has had five Presidents, each leading the nation under very different circumstances and eras.
The first President, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, led the country just after independence, followed 14 years later by his successor, Daniel Arap Moi. Mwai Kibaki assumed leadership in a different era, in the early 2000s, while Uhuru Kenyatta led from the mid-2010s to the early 2020s.
The current President, William Ruto, leads in a time when education has become increasingly important for leadership. For instance, in the past, academic qualifications were not a requirement to become President.
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Today, however, candidates are expected to have at least a university degree to vie for the top seat. As a result, modern Kenyan politicians often pursue higher education to strengthen their leadership credentials.
Times Digital Kenya highlights all of Kenya’s Presidents and their academic qualifications, showing who attained the highest levels of education.
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta
A young Jomo Kenyatta learned technical skills, such as carpentry, at the Church of Scotland Mission in Thogoto, Kiambu. Coming from a poor background, Kenyatta paid for his own school fees with money he earned working as a houseboy and cook for a local white settler.
In the early 1930s, he traveled to the United Kingdom, where he studied social anthropology at the London School of Economics. Kenyatta also studied economics at Moscow State University in the Soviet Union and attended University College London for further studies.
Daniel Arap Moi
Moi, the second President of Kenya, attended Africa Inland Mission (AIM) Kabartonjo and later Kapsabet for his primary education.
He went on to join Kapsabet High School for his secondary education, before proceeding to Tambach Teachers Training College and Kagumo Teachers College, where he trained as a teacher.
After completing his studies, Moi worked as a teacher and later as an assistant Principal at Tambach Teachers Training College, before eventually entering politics in 1955.
Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki, a well-known scholar, served as Kenya’s third President from 2002 to 2013. For his primary education, he attended Gatuyaini School, Karima Mission School, and later Mathari School (now Nyeri High School), before joining Mang’u High School (1947 to 1950).
After completing his secondary education, Kibaki joined Makerere University in Uganda from 1951 to 1954, where he demonstrated his academic prowess by graduating with a First Class Honours degree.
A year after graduating from Makerere, he furthered his education at the London School of Economics, studying Public Finance from 1955 to 1958. Kibaki became the first African to graduate from the school with a First Class Honours degree.
Uhuru Kenyatta
As the son of Kenya’s first President, Uhuru Kenyatta was privileged to attend prestigious schools from a young age. He studied at St. Mary’s School in Nairobi alongside his siblings and completed his studies there in 1979.
Afterward, he furthered his education by joining Amherst College in Massachusetts, USA. He studied there from 1981 to 1985, earning a degree in Political Science and Economics.
William Ruto
Hailing from a humble background, William Ruto attended Sambut Primary School and Kerotet Primary School for his early education.
He then proceeded to Wareng Secondary School for his O-Levels and later Kapsabet Boys High School for his A-Levels.
Ruto went on to join the University of Nairobi, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Botany/Zoology in 1990. He later completed a Master’s degree in Plant Ecology in 2011 and a PhD in Plant Ecology in 2018, all from the University of Nairobi.
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Today, William Ruto is not only the only Kenyan President to hold a PhD while in office but also one of the country’s most highly educated active politicians.
