Mwai Kibaki

Mwai Kibaki, as candidate of the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), won the presidential election, defeating Uhuru Kenyatta of the Kenya African National Union (KANU). This ended KANU's 39-year rule and marked Kenya's first peaceful transfer of power since independence.

Kibaki's government introduced free primary education, abolishing tuition fees for public primary schools. This policy led to a surge in enrollment from 5.9 million to 7.2 million children within a year, significantly improving access to education across Kenya.

Kibaki implemented the Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation (ERS), focusing on macroeconomic stability, infrastructure investment, and privatization. Kenya's GDP growth averaged over 5% annually from 2004 to 2007, reversing a decade of stagnation.

After Kibaki was declared winner of the disputed 2007 presidential election, opposition supporters protested, leading to ethnic violence that killed over 1,100 people and displaced 600,000. The crisis ended with a power-sharing agreement that created a coalition government with Raila Odinga as Prime Minister.

Kibaki oversaw the passage of a new constitution in a national referendum, which devolved power to 47 counties, introduced a bill of rights, and limited presidential powers. The constitution was a key outcome of the 2008 peace agreement and reshaped Kenya's governance structure.