President William Ruto has nominated Mutahi Kagwe for the position of Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture. If approved, Kagwe will succeed Dr. Andrew Karanja, who has been appointed as Kenya’s ambassador to Brazil.
Mutahi Kagwe previously served as the Cabinet Secretary for Health in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, where he played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He became a household name, earning the moniker “Waziri wa Korona” for his regular updates and leadership in Kenya’s COVID-19 response mechanisms.
Early Life and Education
Mutahi Kagwe was born and raised in Mukurweini, Nyeri County. He attended Kihate Primary School and later Kagumo High School for his O levels.
In 1978, he joined the University of Nairobi, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in insurance law, and graduated in 1981. He later earned a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the United States International University-Africa (USIU) between 2002 and 2007.
Career
Before entering politics, Kagwe worked in the private sector, holding the position of commercial director at the Standard Group from 1987 to 1989.
His political career began in 2002 when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Mukurweini Constituency under the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) party ticket. During this period, he chaired the Finance, Trade, Tourism, and Planning Committee.
In 2005, he was appointed as Cabinet Minister for Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) by former President Mwai Kibaki.
Kagwe played a pivotal role in Kenya’s technological transformation, overseeing the transition from satellite technology to fiber optic cables and the launch of Safaricom’s mobile money transfer service, M-Pesa.
After losing his parliamentary seat in 2007 to Kabando wa Kabando, Kagwe shifted to private ventures until his return to politics in 2013, when he was elected as Nyeri County Senator.
During his tenure, he chaired the Senate Committee on Information and Technology and served on the Finance and Budget Committee and the Liaison Committee.
In 2017, Kagwe contested the Nyeri gubernatorial seat but was defeated by the late Wahome Gakuru. He resumed private life until October 2019, when he was appointed to the board of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
In February 2020, former President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed him Cabinet Secretary for Health, just a month before the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Kenya. His tenure as Health CS is remembered for his leadership during the pandemic, which claimed over 5,000 lives in Kenya.
Family
Mutahi Kagwe is married to Anne Wanjiku Mutahi, the daughter of the late John Michuki, a former Minister for Environment. The couple has four children, including Kenyan rapper Kahush, whose real name is Kahu Mburu.
Net Worth
During his vetting for the Health CS position in February 2020, Kagwe declared his net worth at Ksh667.8 million. He revealed ownership of two companies: a public relations firm, Tell-Em, generating Ksh2.87 million, and a research agency, TNS RMS East Africa, which brought in Ksh2.625 million.
Kagwe has since returned to private life, managing his businesses and remaining a prominent figure in Kenya’s political and public service landscape.
