Kibaki was an ardent golfer until he suffered near-fatal accident

Until he was involved in a near-fatal road accident at the Machakos junction in 2002, Kenya’s third President Mwai Kibaki who passed on Friday was an avid golfer.

He served as Kenya’s president from 2002 to 2013.

While serving as vice-president under Kenya’s second president Daniel arap Moi, Kibaki would spare time for a round of golf even with a busy schedule.

However, his golfing career ended abruptly when he was involved in a road accident on his way back to Nairobi from a campaign meeting in Machakos just before the 2002 General Election.

Although he recovered well and was able to walk well again, the ankle injury he had suffered did not allow him to get back to playing the game he loved most.

Other than playing golf, Kibaki supported golfing activities in the country. He sponsored a number of tournaments at Nyeri Golf Club, among them the annual Kibaki Trophy tournament which he started supporting in 1975.

The former president also supported golf events at the Muthaiga Golf Club and at Thika Sports Club. In addition to Nyeri Golf Club, he was a member of these two clubs.

However, he played most of his golf at Muthaiga.

As a golfer, Kibaki, preferred playing golf in jeans, a habit that almost put him in trouble with the leadership at Muthaiga Golf Club. His  slow playing also became an issue with some of his playing partners.

As the first patron of Kenya Golf Union (KGU) in 1976,  former Central Bank of Kenya Governor Duncan Ndegwa used Kibaki’s position as Minister for Finance and Planning   to make sure that parcels of land on which golf clubs were built were protected from land grabbers.

He took over from Ndegwa as patron of KGU in the mid 80s. With support from J.R Njenga who was Commission of Lands at the time, he made sure that parcels of land on which the remaining golf clubs sat were protected.

Some of the local golf clubs that had been facing the danger of being grabbed include Nyali Golf and Country Club, the century-old Mombasa Golf Club, Nyeri Golf Club, Kiambu Golf Club, Kisii Sports Club, among others.

In 2016 Kibaki and other golfing personalities such as Ndegwa, the late Chris Kahara who became the first African president of KGU in 1978, talented golfer John Mucheru, and the late Arthur Tannahill who became the first KGU president in 1928, were inducted into the KGU Hall of Fame for their contribution to the game. Tannahill founded the 97-year-old Tannahill Shield, an annual amateur tournament played at Royal Nairobi Golf Club.

In 2004, just two years fater being elected President, Kibaki paid a courtesy call to KGU offices at Muthaiga Golf Club where he was received by then KGU Chairman Harrison Kinuthia. The same year, Kibaki presided over the prize-giving ceremony of 2004 Kenya Open Golf Championship, then a European Challenge Tour-sanctioned event, at Karen Country Club.

Once in a while, he would visit the Muthaiga Golf Club for a late afternoon lunch and interact with some of the old members of the club.

He never missed the prize-giving ceremony of the Kenya Open Golf Championship and other international sporting events that Kenya hosted. Some of the golf functions he attended include KGU’s 90th Anniversary in 2018 at the Muthaiga Golf Club where he planted a tree and presided over the prize-giving ceremony of Muthaiga Ladies Invitational, a tournament he sponsored for many years.

The last time he was seen at Muthaiga Golf Club was in 2019 when he visited for late lunch.

Muthaiga Golf Club’s current chairman Ronald Meru said the management is saddened by the news of the passing away of the retired president.

“It is with deep sorrow that the board shares the sad news of the demise of one of our members, an avid golfer, and a great supporter of the game of golf, the former president Mwai Kibaki,” Meru said in his message of condolence.

KGU Chairman Peter Kiguru mourned Kibaki as an "astute golfer" and "pillar of golf" in Kenya.

"The golfing community in Kenya, East Africa and the world are saddened by the sudden demise of the former president. His Excellency Mwai Kibaki was an astute golfer and patron of Kenya Golf Union.

"He played a major role in development of golf in the country and through him Kenya has received many accolades in the sport of golf. We are going to miss his wise leadership and no doubt the golfing community has lost one of its major pillars in the country," said Kiguru.

In 2004, President Mwai Kibaki introduced cash rewards for Kenyan medallists at the Olympics, World Athletics Championships and the Commonwealth Games.

Kenyan gold medallists from 2004 Olympics in Athens took home Sh300,000, silver medallists Sh200,000 and bronze medallists Sh100,000.

In 2007, he increased the cash awards for Kenyan athletes from the 2007 World Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan. Gold medallists were awarded Sh500,000, silver medallists Sh300,000 and bronze medallists Sh200,000.

The following year, Kibaki doubled the cash rewards for Kenya’s top performing athletes. Kenyan gold medallists from 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing were awarded Sh750,000, silver medallists Sh500,000 and bronze medallists Sh250,000.

In 2012, Kenyan gold medallists from the 2012 Olympic Games received Sh1 million.