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The united opposition, made up of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, former VP Kalonzo Musyoka, former Cabinet members Martha Karua, Fred Matiang’i, and Eugene Wamalwa, has appointed former UNCTAD Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi as their spokesperson.
Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi is a Kenyan economist, academic, and politician whose career has spanned national politics and international diplomacy.
Former UNCTAD Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi
Early Life and Education
Mukhisa Kituyi was born in 1956 in Bungoma County, western Kenya, at the foothills of Mt. Elgon. He grew up in a rural setting where farming was the main economic activity.
He attended primary school at Mbakalo in Bungoma district from 1963 to 1970 and joined Bokoli Secondary School from 1971 to 1974.
He enrolled at St Mary’s Yala High School and completed an Advanced Level (A-Level) Certificate of Education from 1975 to 1976.
The following year, Kituyi wa admitted to the University of Nairobi to a course in Political Science and International Relations.
He was part of a student leadership expelled from the university in 1979.
Fortunately, he was admitted to Makerere University in 1980 and graduated with honours in Political Science and International Relations in 1982.
He also studied a diploma course in comparative production systems at the University of Bergen, Norway.
From 1984 to 1986, he completed a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree at the University of Bergen. His thesis, “Social Change and Economic Adaptation: A Study of the Way Markets Impact on Pastoral Societies,” examined how economic systems influence traditional communities.
Between 1986 and 1989, Kituyi pursued doctoral studies at the Department of Social Anthropology at the same university.
His PhD thesis, “Becoming Kenyans: The Impact of the Market Economy on the Pastoral Maasai,” explored how market integration reshaped the livelihoods and identity of pastoralist groups in Kenya.
Former UNCTAD Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi
Professional Career
From 1982 to 1983, Mukhisa Kituyi worked as a researcher at the Business and Economic Research Centre in Nairobi.
During this period, he contributed to a nationwide baseline study on water resources and needs, which served as input for Kenya’s National Water Master Plan.
The project was carried out under the auspices of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).
Between 1986 and 1988, Mukhisa Kituyi served as a researcher at the Christian Michelsen Institute in Norway.
His work focused on examining the coherence between various Nordic development support models and programs in key African partner countries.
Former UNCTAD Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi
During this period, he was also a member of the Joint Nordic Team of Experts that evaluated Nordic Technical Assistance Personnel in Eastern Africa, known as the TAP Study.
From 1989 to 1990, Mukhisa Kituyi worked as a Programme Officer with the Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD).
In this role, he was responsible for monitoring and evaluating development programmes in Kenya, with a focus on ensuring coordination and convergence between different project interventions.
Between 1990 and 1992, Mukhisa Kituyi served as Programme Director at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS).
In addition to managing research activities, he coordinated pan-African initiatives aimed at building the capacity of civil society organisations engaged in sustainable development models.
He also co-organised pan-African conferences on sustainability and contributed to preparations for the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
He also participated in international negotiations, including the European Union–African, Caribbean and Pacific (EU-ACP) Economic Partnership Agreements, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and the World Trade Organisation’s Doha Round.
Between 2008 and 2013, he was the Chief Executive of the Kenya Institute of Governance, a Nairobi-based public policy think tank and advocacy organization that works at the intersection of academic research and policy development.
From 2008 to 2010, Kituyi was also a member of a team of experts tasked with advising the East African Community (EAC) on the challenges and opportunities for advancing the regional federation.
Former UNCTAD Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi
UNCTAD career
In September 2013, Mukhisa Kituyi was appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), becoming the first Kenyan and the first African to hold the position.
He served two terms, from 2013 to 2021, leading the UN body in its mandate to promote inclusive and sustainable trade, investment, and development, particularly in developing countries.
During his tenure, Kituyi oversaw research and policy advocacy on global trade trends, digital transformation, and the challenges facing vulnerable economies.
In September 2013, Mukhisa Kituyi was appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), becoming the first Kenyan and the first African to hold the position.
He served two terms, from 2013 to 2021, leading the UN body in its mandate to promote inclusive and sustainable trade, investment, and development, particularly in developing countries.
During his tenure, Kituyi oversaw research and policy advocacy on global trade trends, digital transformation, and the challenges facing vulnerable economies.
READ ALSO: Mukhisa Kituyi named 2021 top searched Kenyan personality on Google
Political Career
In 1992, Mukhisa Kituyi was appointed Executive Director of the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD), the political movement that played a central role in reintroducing multi-party politics in Kenya.
From 1992 to 2007, Mukhisa Kituyi served as a Member of Parliament for Kimilili Constituency in western Kenya.
During his time in Parliament, he held various leadership roles, including Chief Opposition Whip and Chairman of the Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee.
From 2002 to 2007, Mukhisa Kituyi served as Kenya’s Minister for Trade and Industry. In this role, he was actively involved in trade diplomacy within the East African region, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Council, and the African Union.
Kituyi stepped down from UNCTAD in February 2021, ahead of the scheduled end of his term, to return to Kenya and re-enter national politics.
He announced plans to vie for the presidency but later supported ODM leader Raila Odinga in the 2022 General Election.
A younger Mukhisa Kituyi with his family and wife
Personal life
Mukhisa Kituyi married Dr Ling Merete nee Andersen in 1984. They raised three sons and a daughter. Ivar Makari Kituyi, Sitati Kituyi, Laila Kituyi and Thor Masaule Kituyi.
On June 28, 2015, Ivar Makari Kituyi died at the age of 30. He suffered a diabetic attack. Ivar was buried at his father's home in Mbakalo Tongaren Constituency.
Controversies
In mid-2021, explicit material allegedly showing Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi went viral online, sparking widespread attention and speculation.
In a September 2021 interview on Citizen TV, Kituyi addressed the matter, characterising the video as digitally manipulated and saying he would not lower public discourse to “below my neck.”
He urged Kenyans to judge him based on his integrity and professional record, not on salacious distraction. He also refuted claims that a media statement had been issued blaming political opponents for the video’s circulation, calling such reports “manufactured.”