Musikari Kombo: The Minister Whose Journey Began with Kibaki’s Inspiration
In 1966, Musikari Nazi Kombo was a Form Six student at Nyeri High School when fate brought him face-to-face with one of Kenya’s finest minds. The newly-appointed Minister for Commerce and Industry, Mwai Kibaki, had been invited to deliver a lecture on the transformative Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965—a blueprint for Kenya’s economic growth.
With no notes in hand, Kibaki captivated his audience, weaving facts and figures into a mesmerizing oration. For the young Kombo, the experience was transformative. Awed by Kibaki’s intellect and eloquence, he resolved to follow in his footsteps, pursuing economics at university and dreaming of a future in the Cabinet.
That dream materialized 37 years later, in November 2004, when President Kibaki appointed Kombo as Minister. First tasked with Regional Development and later Local Government, Kombo brought to the role an unrelenting stance against corruption—an ethos that aligned seamlessly with Kibaki’s campaign pledge to eradicate graft.
A Crusader Against Corruption
Kombo’s political journey began in 1992 when he was elected to Parliament on a FORD-Kenya ticket. Quickly, he earned a reputation as a fierce anti-corruption advocate. In the mid-1990s, when the Kenya African National Union (KANU) government established a state-controlled anti-corruption agency headed by John Harun Mwau, Kombo denounced it as mere window-dressing. He argued that only an independent, constitutionally mandated body could genuinely combat corruption.
His criticism bore fruit when KANU was forced to pivot, enacting the Prevention of Corruption Act. However, Kombo remained skeptical, rallying the Opposition to push for amendments that ultimately led to the creation of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority, which later evolved into the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
As chair of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, Kombo compiled the infamous “Kombo List of Shame,” an exhaustive report detailing cases of embezzlement drawn from Auditor General reports. With its detailed appendices, the document became an encyclopedia of graft in Kenya, further cementing Kombo’s legacy as an anti-corruption stalwart.
Legislative and International Contributions
Beyond Parliament, Kombo played a pivotal role in the enactment of the Political Parties Act of 2011, which established a regulatory framework for political party registration and funding. His expertise also extended to the international stage, where he contributed to anti-corruption policy in Africa and the Caribbean as a member of the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States-European Union (ACP-EU) bloc.
Reflections on Kibaki’s Vision
In an interview, Kombo shed light on a lesser-known aspect of Kibaki’s vision for Kenya. Contrary to the current devolution model of 47 counties, Kibaki had championed the creation of 10 to 15 economically viable regional blocs to foster national cohesion. He warned against fragmenting the country into small, ethnically-defined units that lacked economic sustainability.
Kibaki’s rationale was simple: regions with shared economies—such as Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, and Meru in Central Kenya, or Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, and Migori in the west—could achieve more collectively than as isolated entities. Kombo recalled the President cautioning the Cabinet against prioritizing political expediency over economic logic.
A Legacy of Integrity
From a high school student inspired by a lecture to a Cabinet Minister shaping national policy, Musikari Kombo’s journey reflects the enduring impact of mentorship and visionary leadership. Guided by Kibaki’s example, he championed integrity and economic pragmatism, leaving an indelible mark on Kenya’s governance landscape.
