MUGO KIBATI – Dreams beyond Vision 2030

Friends…

I sat down with this man… and thought I was incomplete. Like there is something about me that I needed to brush. He left agape, almost throughout the interview. He repainted my school of thought. He changed my mindset. This is a man I will do everything humanly and divinely possible to sit with again..and again. READ ON!

Mr. Mugo Kibati’s life seems to have just started. In his early 40s, he has had a rare opportunity of being the youngest in almost every accomplishment he has made. From the time he joined school, in fact at one point being turned away from a school because of being too young, to when he joined Alliance. Today he is still regarded as one of the youngest people influencing this country.

With a vast educational experience in the USA, Mr. Kibati exudes confidence and optimism that what he is doing today spearheading the vision 2030 will come to be and thus put Kenya on the continental map as a socio-economic power house.

An engineer by profession, Mr. Kibati worked at Bamburi Cement before he left the country for further studies in the US. He came back and joined East African cables as the CEO but later resigned. He now leads the vision 2030 delivery board.

Mr. Mugo Kubati

ACHIEVEMENTS

• The World Economic Forum recognized him as the young global leader for 2008
• MBA in Economics and telecommunications – George Washington University
• Named Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) Fellow – 2010
• Master in Technology management and policy – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Received a Presidential award – Moran of the order of the Burning Spear (MBA)

Here is his story….

Background

“I a very confident man and I owe it to my father. He believed in me and spoke into my life. He was present in my life from the word go. Growing up was memorable with both parents who were not just there for me but brought the best out of me. I remember of an incident when I was 7 years. We were seated for dinner while discussing issues at home in Mombasa. As expected of me, I offered my opinion on the subject only for my uncle to shout me down purely on the basis of my young age. I dint think he had any right to dismiss me on such flimsy grounds. My father was more irritated than I was. He told off my uncle. He made it clear that nobody can intimidate his children in his own house. That my dad would protect me as a demonstration of his confidence in me, is something I celebrate to date. And that injected a lot of confidence in me. Today I know what it means when parents speak into their children’s lives. We need to be very careful with the way we talk to our children. Whatever words that come from parents, whether negative or positive, have a great of impact on the kids.

BRAND

There is no personal brand to Mugo Kibati. Branding literally means packaging to attract attention in the market. I don’t have that side of me. What you see is what you get.  I am real. I try to be true to myself and to the people around me. I am a result oriented person and its absence frustrates me. I am blunt and candid. I speak things as they are. If we are in a deal, I will keep my part of the bargain and if you don’t, I will tell you; as is! That’s what we need in Kenya. Looking at each other in the face and speaking the truth. Such truth might hurt at the onset but ultimately it will be appreciated. We need to get tired of the ordinary.

I live a simple life, not because I don’t aspire but I try to live within my means. I avoid stressing myself with a life that is beyond my means.

Mr. Kibati (Left) PM Raila Odinga (Center) and Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno during an official function

WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF HIM

Other people, especially my family think I am a stickler who insists on my way. Others think I am a performer while still others think I am blunt both at home and at work. This sometimes gets me into trouble especially if I am dealing with people who don’t understand me. My family is important to me and I care what they think about me.

WHO SHAPED HIM

My parents and my Wife are the most responsible for what I am today. The self confidence I exude was natured by my dad. He treated me as an adult at a very young age and made sure I believed in myself. My sister, 3 years my junior has also had a great influence on me.

EDUCATION

I was born in Nakuru where my father, then a civil servant worked before he was transferred to Mombasa. We moved with him to Mombasa where I spent most of my childhood. Just like my uncle, the elderly people in my neighborhood looked down upon me fro no other reason but my age. But when I topped the municipality exams and maintained my academic excellence, the same people started paying attention to me. Then I realized how important education is. Later we moved back to Nakuru where I sat my CPE and emerged the top student in the whole of Rift Valley province. I never had stiff competition while in Mombasa because we used to be ranked by the marks scored as opposed to positions. Things were different when we moved to Nakuru. The first time I sat the exams I was ranked number tow in my class. That was the first and last time I was ranked number two. I maintained the 1^st position till I sat my CPE as the youngest of all the pupils. Earlier I attended Meta nursery school 1974 before I joined Vallentines primary school in Mombasa. I was to join Mombasa primary but I was denied admission because I was too young. Instead of leaving me at home to attain the said age, my father took me to Vaentines since they didn’t care about the age. Later joined Mombasa primary where I spent 6 years between class 1 and class 6. I was later to join St. Xaviers in Nakuru where I sat my CPE. Again I missed out on admission at Moi high shool since the administration didn’t trust children from Mombasa. In this same school, there was a boy who strived to beat me in our CPE exams but that never was. Sometime later before the we did our exams, the school asked me to join them but I thought it too late. I joined Allince High School from Form 1 to Form 6. I got admitted at Moi university where I graduated in 1991 with a degree in Elecrical engineering.

WORK

I worked at Bamburi portland cement as an engineer between 1991 and 1995. I had joined the company as a less experienced person, went through probation and got confirmed later. Most of the people I joined with had moved on in their ranks but I was in the same position simply because of my age. I felt I needed to move on. I quit and got a green card the same year.

In June that year I left for USA in Washington DC where I enrolled for my MBA in International business finance at George Washington town University. I also did my Masters in Economics which I completed in 1997. One of my greatest and memorable moments in the US was when I worked as a congressional intern. I worked for Mr. James H. Inhofe (current Oklahoma senator). I was attached to his legislative office and had access to the largest library in the world. In 1996 during the electioneering period, Osama shot down an American plane. I was tasked with the responsibility to call the pentagon to demand for an explanation on what action the Clinton administration was going to take on the aggression the people of the USA by Osama. Pentagon responded immediately. Little did they know that they were responding to a young Kenyan boy. It was a moment worth my memory.

In 1997 I did my masters in Technical policy management at MIT. This is a hybrid degree of engineering, management and wireless communication. Then I later joined Harvard University. While at MIT I worked for Internatala Telecoms as a result consultant in internet diffusion in developing countries. I was based in Geneva Switzerland.

I came back to Kenya in 2004 and joined East Cables as the C.E.O

MEMORIES

One of the most memorable experiences of growing up was my time at Alliance high school. The school had a lot influence on me. I joined the school when I was 12 years and left when I was 18. Those were 6 good years of my formative age. Great men formerly of Alliance visited the school when I was there and they gave me lots of confidence. I saw the likes Jeremiah Nyagah, Job Omino, Duncan Ndegwa, James Orengo and Ken Matiba among others. The leadership training that I passed through at Alliance was transformational. For instance all extra curricular activities in the school were run by students. Teacher only concentrated on the academics. I became the school captain at 17 and was the youngest to sit for A levels beating a pool of 700 students in the region.

All I can remember about my early life is the presence of my parents and sister. My dad made sure we have gone to church every Sunday. The friends and schools I went were memorable in their way. Then moving from Mombasa to Nakuru was another memorable happening. Mombasa was hot but Nakuru was a bit cold. I was used to tourists and beaches in Mombasa but had content with the farming environment in Nakuru. Growing up with my sister was such a lovely experience. We grew up just the two of us till my brother was born later when I was 10. I was very keen about current affairs and hardly missed a copy of the weekly review which I started reading at 11. That is the same time former president Moi became the chair of OAU. I remember reading the weekly review at the time and it had the names of all global leaders.

In one of those pensive moods

WIFE

I met my wife Laila while in the US in 1995 during the Independence Day. She had just graduated as a lawyer from Oregon University. We got married 10 years later. Before I met her I was highly judgmental, opinionated and crude. She brushed me and transformed me to where I am today. She is simply brilliant.

Wouldn’t think of any unique challenges while growing up but being a kid in itself was a challenge to me. There are opportunities I lost simply because I was young and it was never funny. My studies were also challenging especially moving from one region to another notwithstanding the competition I was getting in school. Boarding life was equally challenging.

CAREER ASPIRATIONS

I do not have a career. Career is too narrow to be a life focus. Talk about having a life and that’s what I have. A live a deliberate and examined life. I think though the things I do and I question everything that comes my way. I am a trained engineer but I only worked for a few years as an engineer. Would you say I have failed in my career path? No! We should not restrict ourselves within the confines of our career boundaries. We need to broaden our outlook on life. Let’s seek to add value not just to other people but to ourselves too.

My aspirations are long time. I seek to transform this country for the better of our children. That’s the internal compass that drives me. By the year 2030, I might be too old to enjoy the benefits of the vision I am spearheading today, but our children will leave and celebrate a better country than us today. That is what inspires me to wake up every morning and go to work. That is what drives me to dedicate as much passion and energy to the vision 2030. There is a lot of pressure from all sides but that can never equate to the joy of realizing a better country for the next generations.

I want to fight a good fight. I want my wife and family to know that I did my best when I could not just to live a well ordered life.

Mr. Kibati with Coperatives minister Joseph Nyagah

HEROES

My parents, wife and my siblings are my heroes. They each have a played a personal role in making me what I am today. And I owe it to them big time. But I also admire such great leaders as Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. They were pragmatic leaders who had to make real hard decisions for the sake of the people they led. Mandela negotiated with B.W Botha and not only brokered peace but calmed nerves on both sides of the apartheid divide. He knew how and when to close the deal. These are leaders who espoused high values and had ability in their operations. Though Mahatma was naïve while Mandela hardly considered other people’s views.

The 26^th president of the USA – Teddy Roosevelt is another admirable icon. He led the US from 1901 – 1909 as the youngest ever president of the US’s history. He did not just bring new excitement and power to the presidency but he vigorously led Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy. Most memorable and astounding of Roosevelt was his famous speech “The man in the arena” that he delivered on 23 April 1910 at the Sorbonne in Paris France. Part of his speech says… “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

These are people who decided to be the men in the arena. They took risks for the sake of the people. And their contributions to the well being of this world are unique. Then there is William Willberforce who in early 1800 consciously took on slavery that had been a normal thing in life. He took him courage to fight slave trade in Britain inspite of the forces that were behind it. It took him over 15 years of lobbying for the abolition of slave trade Act to pass in parliament and eventually receive royal consent. It took him half of his life to fight slave trade. His friend William Pitt who in 1783 became the youngest Prime minister of Britain is yet another admirable hero. The two had values and succeeded in transforming Briatin. Other people I admire are Margret Thatcher, Jack Welch, Albert Schindler and Winston Churchill.

WHY HE LOVES KENYA

I love Kenya and I have a lot of dreams for this country. Kenya is going to be a dominant socio-economic power house in the whole continent. It might be too vague to visualize vision 2030’s reality but wait till it takes shape. Though as a country we are far in achieving self determination for every citizen. Where people will live examined lives free of external pressure and manipilartion. My dream is that every Kenyan will have self determination. With a self determined life, we can achieve the democratic space where there is freedom of expression and the free choice of who to lead us. We need able institutions that will guard this freedoms. We need every Kenyan to have access to education and by 2030 we’ll have everything that gives us access to these rights. We hope that every Kenay will be economically independent and I am confident that Kenya is on its way to achieving all these. A 20 year process though takes time but its better than a 2-3year vision. Kenya has a soul. It’s a vibrant country that can only be competed by Nigeria.

My concerns are however drawn to such preventable things as droughts and lack of basic amenities. Lives are being wasted. Ethnicity is a great challenge to our progress. We need to be Kenyans first before anything else. We need to celebrate our cultural diversities but kill ethnic identification which is false. My tribe is merely a geographical and birth accident that should not be a point of reference. Kenya must redraw their moral universe and look at each other as fellow humans. Must out of “ushenzi” behavior and attitudes and be “waangwana.”

IF HE WAS THE PRESIDENT

As president of Kenya I will endeavor to make to instill self determination in every citizen. That is the core. I will try my best to make basic facilities available and affordable. It will be my duty to secure the nation in every sense. Not just its physical boundaries, but also economically. We need to de-tribalize this nation and that would be my priority.

MESSAGE TO THE YOUTH

To the young men out there I will tell you this: Redefine your manhood. Being a man is about respecting yourself and others. Live an examined life. Don’t live like a hedgehog or wildebeest whose lives are for the day. Don’t just ape or follow unquestioningly to everything. Doing or not doing something should come from your personal conviction not what people tell you. Unexamined lives lead to such things as tribalism. Don’t just stick to a job because of the fear of loosing an income. Follow your heart and make difficult decisions.

EXCITING GLOBAL TRENDS

The flattening of the globe is one exciting trends happening today. The world’s artificial boundaries that define humanity are flattening. 1000 years ago the universe was just 50sqr meters but today in Mombasa will be competing with another in Beijing. Today, the universe is in our hands. Climate change, sicknesses such as cancer, obesity and HIV/AIDS are worrying trends that I would endeavor to fix if I was a global leader.

DOES HE CONSIDER HIMSELF SUCCESSFUL

Success is personal. There is no measure to it. It’s not the wealth, cars, houses etc. Everybody should define success in their own way. It revolves around one’s joy and achievements. My life is just half done; ask me about success when I am 80 years and I will tell you I did my best. But in my pursuit for success, I esteem my integrity and will everything to protect it.

One of my most gratifying achievements so far is getting married to the right person. It feels wonderful. I achieved all my goals as a kid; passing my exams, being a successful school captain, being an engineer and being true to my family. The growth of EA cables under my leadership was indeed gratifying. I received recognition by the government while in the private sector and awarded a Moran of the order of the burning spear (MBS). The World Economic Forum also recognized me as the young global leader for 2008. Everything that I am doing today in the vision 2030 delivery board that will impact Kenya decades from today is so gratifying.

GREATEST CHALLENGE

My greatest barrier has been people. Ironically, my greatest support has been people. People can be envious and envy can motivated somebody to do anything. In the leadership positions I have been, it is tempting to indulge in things that will give you instant gain. Then again there are decisions I have made from imperfect knowledge that I should have. Finally, societal constraints and expectations have been a barrier of sort. Society sets artificial blocks and expects us to play by them. It can be stressing if there isn’t understanding.

BEST DECISION EVER

Marrying my wife remains to be the best decision I have ever made in my life. I am an optimistic man who is always looking forward and not at past regrets but I should have spent more time with my grand parents. I wish I bought shares at EA cable but wouldn’t due to conflict of interst.

FAVOURITE QUOTE

My favorite quotates are found in three people. From Teddy Roosevelt’s speech “The man in the arena”, Robert Frost’s poem “stoping by the woods on a frosty evening” and Max Ehrmann’s poem “The Desiderata.”

HOW DOES HE WISH TO BE REMEMBERED?

I wish to be remembered as a man who fought the good fight and as a man who was in the arena. As somebody who cared, cared enough to do something about it.”