The 2010 constitution maintained a presidential system, but introduced substantial checks with a devolved system of government, and consolidated democracy and basic rights.
“His greatest moment was the promulgation of the new constitution… It was a very deep and emotional moment for him,” Kibaki’s son Jimmy said in a recent documentary.
In the future, the elderly statesman – who was left with serious long-term injuries following a bad car crash in 2002 – is expected to enjoy his retirement on the golf courses of Nairobi and his sprawling estates in his birthplace of Nyeri.
But Kenya’s third president leaves a complicated legacy for his successor.
Leading contender Uhuru Kenyatta – who in 2007 put his presidential ambitions on hold in favour of Kibaki – faces a crimes against humanity trial for the 2007-8 violence that erupted under Kibaki’s rule.
The legacy of that same violence may also dog the future for the other top candidate Raila Odinga, whose 2007 presidential bid ended with him reluctantly settling for the prime minister’s post after Kibaki’s contentious win.
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