NICHOLAS BIWOTT

1940 – 2017

Nicholas Biwott was a prominent Kenyan businessman and politician. As a civil servant and later a Member of Parliament he held several senior ministerial and government posts in the 1970s, 80s and 90s and worked with Kenya’s first three presidents, Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki.

Kipyator Nicholas Kiprono arap Biwott was born in Chebior village, Keiyo District, Rift Valley Province in 1940. He was educated at Tambach Intermediate School (1951-54) and Kapsabet High School (1955-58) before gaining a Bachelor of Commerce (1964) and a Masters in Economics (1968) from the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Nicholas Biwott Political career

2013: Aspirant Senator for Marakwet County but lost to Kipchumba Murkomen

2007: Aspirant MP for Keiyo South but lost to Jackson Kiptanui

2002: Aspirant Member of Parliament for Keiyo South constituency (lost to Jackson Kiptanui)

Following the 2002 election, Biwott served on the Devolution Committee of the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission. Biwott was the only Member of Parliament, however, to abstain on the Constitutional Referendum held in 2005, stating that the Draft Constitution ‘would divide the country along ethnic lines’. The Draft Constitution was rejected at the Referendum.

1997- 2002: Member of Parliament for Keiyo South constituency

1992- 1997: Member of Parliament for Keiyo South constituency.

1988- 1992:  Member of Parliament for Keiyo South constituency.

1983- 1988:  Member of Parliament for Keiyo-Marakwet, on a KANU ticket.

1979- 1983: Member of Parliament for Keiyo-Marakwet, on a KANU ticket.

1974: Aspirant Member of Parliament for Keiyo South constituency.

District Officer

Nicholas Biwott entered government service in 1965 as the District Officer in South Imenti and Tharaki, Meru District (Jan 1965–66). As District Officer Biwott instituted, on a ‘harrambe’ basis, community fund-raising programmes to aid the development of local irrigation projects and roads, to build a health centre at Nkwene and schools at Nkubu and Kanyakini, develop employment at the Egoji quarries and promote the planting of coffee and tea. He was also actively involved in the resettlement of previously European owned land through the ‘Land Transfer’ programme, part of the ‘Million Acres’ scheme, and played a central role in the rehabilitation of the Mau Mau, many of whom still remained in the Mau Forest four years after the end of the ‘Emergency’, helping to persuade them to give up violence and organizing the resettlement of many on to their own land.

Ministry of Agriculture

Having completed his Master’s degree in Australia in 1968, Nicholas Biwott returned to public service in the Ministry of Agriculture, GOK, and Personal Assistant to Minister Bruce Mackenzie (1968–1970). He coordinated cereal production, the marketing of cereal crops and the management of the Ministry’s fertilizer policy, and helped develop research into new strains of wheat and maize more suited to the growing conditions in Kenya. He played a similar coordinating role for the Ministry’s work with the East African Council of Ministers (Mackenzie was also a member of the Council), guiding Kenya’s policy in the region in the development of ports, railways and the East African Airways.

Treasury

In 1971 Nicholas Biwott moved to the Treasury as Senior Secretary under the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mwai Kibaki. In 1972 he created and headed the External Aid Division and technical assistance program dealing with external resources, bringing in experts and arranging cultural exchanges. Notably he helped facilitate the establishment of the French School in Nairobi (now called the Lycee Denis Diderot), the French Cultural Centre with the Alliance de Francais, and the German Frederick Ebert Stifftung Foundation in cooperation with the Gurter Institute.

Nicholas Biwott -Ministry of Home Affairs

In late 1972 Nicholas Biwott transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs on the personal recommendation of President Kenyatta to work with his Vice-President and the Minister of Home Affairs, Daniel arap Moi.

In 1974 Biwott stood as a candidate for the Keiyo South constituency in the general election of that year but was narrowly defeated.

Following the 1974 election Nicholas Biwott was recalled to the Ministry of Home Affairs as Under Secretary (1974–1978) to Minister Daniel arap Moi, Kenya’s Vice President. With the aging President Kenyatta unable to fulfil all the functions of the presidency, Moi took a leading role in the East African region with the result that Nicholas Biwott spent much of the next four years dealing with the Organization of African Unity, the Commonwealth, the ‘non-aligned’ states and promoting the ‘good neighborliness’ policy with states bordering Kenya.

Kenyatta’s death in 1978 saw Daniel arap Moi elevated to the presidency and Nicholas Biwott promoted to Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President[5] (1978–1979).

Nicholas Biwott- Minister of State

Following the election of 1979 (in which he was elected Member of Parliament for 1979 Keiyo South election, a seat he retained until December 2007), Nicholas Biwott returned to the Office of the President but now promoted to Minister of State (1979–1982) with responsibility for science and technology, cabinet affairs, land settlement and immigration.

Under his auspices the Kenya Medical Research Institute was established in the same year to carry out health science research in Kenya. (Now in its 31st year, KEMRI continues its work as “a leading center of excellence in the promotion of quality health”).

Nicholas Biwott -Minister of Regional Development, Science and Technology

In September 1982 he was appointed Minister of Regional Development, Science and Technology. Learning from examples of other regional development policies, notably in Australia and Tennessee in the USA, he created two regional development authorities, the Lake Basin Development Authority and the Kerio Valley Development Authority.

Nicholas Biwott- Minister of Energy

In September 1983, Nicholas Biwott was made Minster of Energy and Regional Development and in March 1988 (following a reorganization of ministry portfolios) he became Minister of Energy, a post he held until January 1991.