- Professor Kivutha Kibwana has taken over as the third Chancellor of the International Leadership University.
- Kibwana has previously served as the first Governor of Makueni County and as a Presidential Adviser on Constitutional Affairs.
- ILU has highlighted Kibwana’s background in law, academia and civic leadership as valuable to the institution’s growth.
Professor Kivutha Kibwana has taken over as Chancellor of the International Leadership University (ILU), becoming the institution’s third chancellor and bringing decades of experience in law, academia, public service and governance to the role.
His appointment was praised by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, former Court of Appeal President Justice Daniel Musinga and Green Africa’s Kalua Green, who described Prof Kibwana’s professional record and commitment to public service as valuable to the university’s growth. At his installation, ILU described him as a human rights activist, academic, writer and changemaker.
Prof Kibwana, an Advocate of the High Court, Certified Secretary and Professor of Law, began his academic career at the University of Nairobi in 1977, where he taught law for more than two decades and rose to become Dean of the Faculty of Law and Associate Professor. He currently teaches at Daystar University and serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. His academic background includes studies at the University of Nairobi, the University of London, Harvard University and George Washington University, as well as theological studies at the African International University.
His public career gained prominence during the pro-democracy movement of the 1990s, when he served as spokesperson for the National Convention Assembly and the National Convention Executive Council between 1997 and 2002, a period of political change that eventually culminated in the constitutional reform process and the adoption of the 2010 Constitution.
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Prof Kibwana later ventured into elective politics, representing Makueni Constituency in Parliament between 2003 and 2007. He subsequently served in ministerial positions in the Office of the President and Office of the Vice-President, handling portfolios including Environment and Natural Resources and Lands. In 2006, he served as president of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP12, held in Nairobi, before being appointed Presidential Adviser on Constitutional, Parliamentary and New Affairs in January 2008, a position he held until September 2012.
He returned to elective politics in 2013 when he became the first Governor of Makueni County, serving two terms until 2022. His tenure became associated with initiatives in devolved governance, public participation and community involvement in development programmes. In 2023, he joined the African Mayoral Leadership Initiative, supported by Big Wave Philanthropies, as an adviser, mentor and coach.
His career has earned him several awards, including the International Commission of Jurists Outstanding Public Servant/Game Changer Award in 2019, and recognition as a leading public servant in 2020. He also served as National Goodwill Ambassador for Volunteerism between 2018 and 2024 and received the Volunteer Lifetime Achievement of the Year award in 2024.
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ILU said Prof Kibwana’s background in law, academia, public administration and civic leadership would be useful as the university pursues its growth and institutional mandate.
By Jonathan Mwinzi
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