Dr. Evans Kidero became a household name when he
declared his intentions to run for the gubernatorial seat of Nairobi County and
later won with the majority votes of 692,483, thus silencing his closest rival
Ferdinand Waititu. He’s a self made man who has made a name a name for himself by holding
senior positions in various companies in Kenya over the years.
Evans Kidero was born in Majengo to a father who was a policeman and a mother who was a housewife. His leadership skills began way back when he was at Mang’u high and was made the head boy.
Evans Kidero was born in Majengo to a father who was a policeman and a mother who was a housewife. His leadership skills began way back when he was at Mang’u high and was made the head boy.
He went on to attend the University of Nairobi, where he
graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and thereafter got his
first job working as a pharmacist at Kenyatta National Hospital. Dr Kidero
obtained a Masters of Business Administration in 1990 at United States
International University in Kenya. These qualifications, his personal abilities
and the hand of God set him on the path for an illustrious career in corporate
management.
The highlights of his career include: 4 years at Warner Lambert, 12 years at SmithKline Beecham Healthcare International (GSK) 2 years at the helm of Nation Media Group, and (most recently) 10 years in the stewardship of Mumias Sugar Company.
He joined the sugar industry at a time when the industry was reeling under heavy loss. He however managed to steer Mumias Sugar Company from a loss making enterprise to a profit making entity. Today Mumias Sugar accounts for 60% of the country’s sugar sales, and under his leadership, has diversified into a series of related businesses from the by-products of sugar manufacturing, including generation of electricity and sales of bottled water. It is from Mumias that Dr. Kidero resigned to pursue a political career in Nairobi county governorship.
From a 28-year career in the competitive corporate environment, Dr. Kidero acquired leadership and management skills that made him a suitable candidate for a job that requires experience, competence and caring.
It’s for his competence that saw the people of Nairobi choose him as their governor and silence Ferdinand Waititu aka baba yao and successful business man Jimnah Mbaru whose long CV did not seem to work the magic of earning him enough votes.
He is married to Susan Mboya, the daughter of Pan-Africanist Tom Mboya. Despite having a famous dad and husband, Susan has made a name for herself. She complements him with a passion for women’s economic empowerment and the education of girls. Susan is the Director for Women’s Economic Empowerment at Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa, and also the founder of Zawadi Africa, a non-profit organization that obtains scholarships to enable academically gifted but financially disadvantaged girls to attend university mostly in the United States. She was recently named to chair Liberty Insurance board.
In his website, Kidero says that it’s his own improbable story of success that inspired him to run for Governor. He believes that he owes his achievements to the excellent systems and services that were available to him growing up in Nairobi, but that are no longer available to the people of Nairobi.
He goes further to say that although he came from very humble beginnings, he benefited from the affordable and good quality education and healthcare that was available then, he grew up on safe and clean streets of Nairobi, and he was employed by a Government which, at the time, was able to provide job opportunities to the youth. Dr. Kidero would like to restore Nairobi to its former glory, and give all Nairobi residents the facilities and opportunities that they need for their families to progress and flourish.
While a number of governors are concerned where their offices will be located and raising their demands of having flags on their cars, Dr Evans Kidero seems to be ready to start working as soon as possible. In the past, he has been quoted saying that it doesn’t matter where his offices will be as long as he will be able to serve the Nairobians.
Rumour has it that Kidero is being ‘prepared’ to become president
in the near future. Can he
convince Kenyans not to vote along tribal lines and be able to conquer the tyranny of numbers? Only time will tell.
convince Kenyans not to vote along tribal lines and be able to conquer the tyranny of numbers? Only time will tell.
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