Kenyatta, Uhuru Muigai
Kenyatta, Uhuru Muigai,
1961–, Kenyan politicial leader, son of Jomo KenyattaKenyatta, Jomo, 1893?–1978, African political leader, first president of Kenya (1964–78). A Kikuyu, he was one of the earliest and best-known African nationalist leaders.
..... Click the link for more information. . A Kikuyu, he entered politics in the 1990s, joining the Kenya African National Union (KANU) and ran unsuccessfully for parliament in 1997. Under President Daniel arap MoiMoi, Daniel Toroitich arap
, 1924–, president of Kenya (1978–2002). First named to the legislature in 1955, he opposed Kikuyu and Luo dominance until he joined Kenya's first independent government (1963) and the majority party, the Kenya African National Union (KANU).
..... Click the link for more information. , he was appointed (2001) to parliament and shortly thereafter named minister for local government. In 2002 he was handpicked by Moi as KANU's presidential candidate but lost to Mwai KibakiKibaki, Mwai
(Emilio Mwai Kibaki), 1931–, Kenyan political leader. An economist educated at the London School of Economics, he was elected to Kenya's first parliament (1963) as a member of the Kenya African National Union (KANU).
..... Click the link for more information. . Kenyatta succeeded Moi as KANU's leader in 2005, and supported Kibaki against Raila OdingaOdinga, Raila Amolo
1945–, Kenyan political leader, son of Oginga Odinga, Kenya's first vice president. After earning (1970) a degree in mechanical engineering from the Univ. of Magdeburg, East Germany, he returned home and taught at the Univ. of Nairobi.
..... Click the link for more information. in 2007. Kibaki's narrow and disputed victory aggravated tribal rivalries, leading to violence in which more than 1,000 were killed and some 600,000 lost their homes. The International Criminal CourtInternational Criminal Court
(ICC), first permanent world court created specifically to try individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes of aggression, and crimes against humanity, est. 2002; located at the Hague, Netherlands.
..... Click the link for more information. later accused (2010) Kenyatta (and others) of crimes against humanity for allegedly financing death squads, but the charges were later (2015) withdrawn due to insufficient evidence. In the subsequent coalition government, Kenyatta served as deputy prime minister (2007) and minister of local government (2008) and finance (2009). In 2012 Kenyatta left KANU and founded the National Alliance, and he narrowly won the 2013 presidential election, defeating Odinga. He beat Odinga by a wider margin in 2017, but irregularities led the supreme court to annul the result and call for a new election. Kenyatta won the rerun, which Odinga boycotted; in 2018 the two agreed to a national unity program.