Former Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has been nominated for the position of Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary.
Former Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe can be described as a lucky man, mtu wa kuangukia in street parlance, and a "super substitute" – combining reliability and results – if you are a football fan.
Here is why.
Mr Kagwe first joined the Cabinet in 2005 when President Mwai Kibaki replaced some ministers after a humiliating defeat in the constitutional referendum. Mr Kagwe came back in 2020 when President Uhuru Kenyatta reshuffled his team, and is now poised to make yet another critical substitution, this time as President William Ruto's Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development.
Mr Kagwe, most recently remembered for his role in steering the Ministry of Health through a devastating Covid-19 crisis and pushing for vaccination, will, if approved by Parliament, be the face and voice of the new vaccination drive, this time for 22 million livestock in Kenya. It is a parallel that social media users have not missed.
A former senator from Nyeri and before that Mukurweini MP, Mr Kagwe has been at the forefront of political circles, dominating discussions after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, also from Nyeri, was impeached in October.
In Nyeri, Mr Kagwe has always been seen as the "best" option whenever a Cabinet position becomes vacant, especially when it involves people from the county.
In a 2005 Cabinet reshuffle, Mr Kagwe was appointed Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) by then President Kibaki.
Mr Kibaki, who died in 2020, reshuffled his cabinet after a humiliating defeat in a constitutional referendum and dropped the former powerful Internal Security Minister, Dr Chris Murungaru, who hails from Kieni in Nyeri County.
At the time, Mr Kagwe was the MP for Mukurweini, a seat he would lose to Mr Kabando wa Kabando in 2007.
He would go on to win the Nyeri senatorial seat in 2013, a seat he would lose in 2017.
His second stint in Cabinet came barely 11 days before Covid-19 hit Kenya (2020-2022), when Mr Kenyatta tapped him to head the Ministry of Health.
As the rapid spread of the disease caused alarm around the world, Kenyans looked to Mr Kagwe to see what direction he would take in tackling the disease's onslaught.
On February 28, 2020, he was sworn in as the fourth CS for Health in the Jubilee government.
He took over from Ms Sicily Kariuki, who was transferred to the Ministry of Labour.
On the same day that Mr Kagwe was sworn in, the President issued Executive Order No. 2 of 2020, which led to the establishment of a National Emergency Response Committee (NERC).
The Executive Order addressed growing concerns about Kenya's preparedness to combat the coronavirus, which was rapidly crossing borders and claiming lives.
In addition to facilitating the establishment of the NERC, the Executive Order also established the Ad Hoc Cabinet Committee on Health and the Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on Government Response to the Coronavirus Outbreak within the NERC.
Mr Kagwe was appointed chairman of the newly created committee, a role he performed with gusto, earning himself the nickname "Mr Covid".
Born in 1958 and raised in Mukurweini, Nyeri County, Mr Kagwe attended Kihuti Primary School between 1965 and 1971 before attending Kagumo High School for his 'O' and 'A' levels between 1972 and 1977.
He joined the University of Nairobi in 1978 and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1981.
In 1992, he graduated with a Master of Business Administration from the United States International University.
Mr Kagwe joined the advertising department of the Standard Group in 1987 and rose to the position of Commercial Director.
He left in 1994 to establish an independent media house (publishing The East African Chronicle and Business Chronicle), a regional consumer research consultancy called Research International-East Africa, an advertising agency and a public relations firm – Tel-Em Public Relations (EA) Limited.
He was well versed and grounded in mass media communications, consumer product research and image building.
To this end, he carved his own niche and thrived as a media maven with 'gold card' membership of the Marketing Society of Kenya and the Kenya Institute of Management.
In 2002, he plunged into politics, running on a NARC ticket.
Mr Kagwe served as the fifth Member of Parliament for Mukurweini Constituency and was the first Senator for Nyeri County.
As a senator, he is credited with championing 'The Best Classroom', an early childhood education programme aimed at promoting quality ECDE across the country.
He is also credited with sponsoring the Cyber Security and Protection Bill in the Kenyan Senate.
As a Member of Parliament, he chaired the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Trade, Tourism and Planning, before being appointed Cabinet Minister for Information and Communications.
He spearheaded the construction of the Transformational East African Marine System (T.E.A.M.S.) – the first fibre optic project for East Africa. During his tenure as Cabinet Minister, Kenya launched the world-famous M-Pesa mobile money service.
His admirers describe him as an "intelligent, hands-on and open-minded" leader.
Now observers say he was chosen not only for his vast experience, but also for a political role in the restive Mt Kenya region.
