Mugo Kibati sits in the office of East African Cables’ Group Chief Executive Officer, and looks like a modern-day young Alexander, always moving forwards searching for new worlds to conquer. It is not the office itself that gives this impression, it is sparsely furnished and restrained and about a quarter of the normal size of corporate chief executive offices in Nairobi. It is Mugo Kibati himself, who listens with his whole body leaning forward, vibrating with intensity. He didn’t always have this skill, apparently; it was his wife who taught him that other people had opinions too, and sometimes, some of them even made sense.
Mugo Kibati has always been the smartest guy in the room ever since he was about six, and finally went to a school that ranked its students. It was easier to ask him to remember the times when he was not #1 in his class. The first time he ever got a class ranking at all, he came in at number two, and mostly because he had just joined a new school where the classes were in English, and not Kiswahili, the language he knew. Before that, he had only ever spoken English in the half-hour English class at his previous school. He didn’t know anybody who actually spoke it all day, every day. Then, years later, he went off as a Form One Newbie to Alliance High School, and came in at number five that first term. He’d just finished coming first in his province in the national exams the year before, so that was a rude shock. His mother, chuckling at his puzzlement, said to his father ‘the young man may finally be challenged, after all.’
Challenged he was; it was after all, Alliance High School, where the incoming class is full of people who were first in their primary schools, or in their provinces, or in the country. The shock of adjusting to this level of meta-excellence and the pride in having been able to ratchet up his performance to meet this new expectation explain a lot about Mugo Kibati’s relationship to his former, and formative, high school. Alliance High School is one of the three most significant forces in his life: the other two are his parents and his wife. From his father, he learned about the fundamental injustice of arbitrary social hierarchies. It was at a family gathering when Mugo was still a tiny tot, but wanted to give his opinion about something the grown-ups were discussing. An uncle was about to dismiss his participation on the grounds of Mugo being a small child and thus preferably both invisible and inaudible. His father stopped that burgeoning form of oppression in the very bud. He said that his son, Mugo, had the right to speak his mind in his own home, and anywhere else for that matter—and that what was important was the quality of the statement and not the age or position of the speaker. Mugo Kibati never forgot that.
Mugo Kibati wins awards with “Young” as the first word of their titles quite frequently. He is accustomed, in addition to being the best, also to being the youngest of whatever peer group he is excelling amongst, and all of Kenya knows by now that he is the gold medallist equivalent of corporate stewardship, as well as being the youngest of the corporate heavy-hitters. I asked him for an instance of his failure. He told me of the time he did not get into the Imperial College of London (the MIT of the UK) but later got into MIT itself, where he again excelled.
He met his wife Laila in the United States, where she impressed him by contradicting him often and fighting hard to win her intellectual points against him. Laila, another over-accomplished Kenyan, has a strong sense of social justice and had turned down the lucrative possibilities of private law practice in the U.S. to work with legal aid organisations. She argued passionately with Mugo, and won, so, of course, he fell in love with her and married her as soon as he could convince her that it was a good idea. That was a few arguments later. Few Kenyan men could ever sound so happy about losing major points—to a woman. Few Kenyan men of that level of accomplishment listen to other people’s points, on anything at all. Laila’s mind is a very big deal to Mugo Kibati, and he talks about her often: his intense large eyes open wider when he does.
Mugo was School Captain of Alliance when he was a student there, and now he chairs the Alumni Association and sits on the Board of Governors for his old high school. He is the youngest Board of Governors member they have ever had, of course. I ask him what this high-flying trajectory is in aid of—what drives the effort behind his own excellence? When he went to university he was the student chair of his faculty (his first election win), in the U.S. he worked as a Congressional Intern (for a Republican Senator); he is the youngest person ever appointed to the position he now holds and he has just won the Young Global Leader 2008 award. Why is Mugo Kibati running this high-performing high-stakes excellence race, seemingly mostly against time and against himself?
His answer is the reason that he is a GenerationKenya Juror. Mugo Kibati wants to build a society based entirely on merit—a meritocracy, now, in his lifetime and preferably next week. He has a burning passion to make ours a society in which the best rise, no matter their background, or gender, or economic conditions, or creed, or colour, or anything else. Mugo Kibati wants a society in which excellence is the only measure by which we allow ourselves to discriminate amongst ourselves. It is not so surprising, considering his own life, but what often goes unsaid in listing his many achievements is how strongly he feels about the need to inculcate moral courage and positive, active social engagement in our citizens. Knowledge, or intelligence, is not merely a passive process of taking in what swirls around you—for Mugo, it is an energetic, active process of perpetual finding-out, aggressive seeking of new skills, new understanding, new perspectives, new possibilities, new futures. He is a man in a hurry, to excel, and to find and to promote excellence in all he does. He is GenerationKenya to the core—he will know how to identify other Kenyans with his type of mind.
Mugo Kibati, GenerationKenya Juror. Forward Into Excellence
Editors note: Mugo Kibati resigned as group CEO of East African Cables in June 2008.
What made this man resign?
Let me begin by saying Mr. Mugo is my role model and a great inspiration to me.I’m in Alliance Girls’ High School and the chairlady of the business club in my school. I’d like to request if Mr. Mugo can support a project the club has called ”The Apprentice” by agreeing to reward the overall winner since the project is a kind of a competition.
It helps inspire students who are aspiring business personalities.
Please,I’d love to hear from him soon.
Thanks in advance.
Hello Maureen,
Please e mail us with some more information on this address
info@generationkenya.co.ke
regards
I am fan of inspirational speakers and We are really interested in mugo coming to give us a talk in mombasa since we are organizing a national meeting for the TB/hiv programmes in kenay.
could i get his contacts, email etc asap since we need him on the 4th september 2008.
Thank you Chris for your comment.
Please get in touch with us on info@generationkenya.co.ke with more information of your event and we will revert.
Regards
GenerationKenya Team
its so hard to find such a good brain, and matter in the same body.
this is the equivalent of Jack Welch.
I engaged Mr.Mugo in some questions after he made his vision 2030 presentation.Good Lord!The man is indeed intelligent.Wonder if he is bringing up other young men with his value system.If yes,hw cd I also b mentored by him?
Nice piece Wambui- and the man himself is amazing. Kudos
could i get his contacts?
i met Mr Mugo Kibati on several occasions and indeed he is a man of integrity. we met at the launch of Kenya youth empowerment and employment initiative,national prayer breakfast, (safari park) and the Africa youth leaders forum where we had breakfast together. i just want him to know that after our conversation, i am ready to get my voter’s card!!!
MK. Congratulations! There are not many as intellectually and practically tall as you are. You have so much space above you and ahead of you (in the years to come). Fill it all with good deeds for your motherland. Never act like an ant! You are an elephant (njogu)! I ADMIRE YOU. Blessings.
great article this is.i know its a few years down the road and superachiever kibati is no longer head honcho for E.A Cables.this article is so inspiring,the man himself is.thank you for archiving this article Wambui.
I would really like to engage with Mugo regarding vision 2030, on matters concerning rail in particular, could that be made possible? Asante
I admire several qualities and skills that Mugo embodies, but none of these, in my view, surpasses his love for “moral forthrightness”. I look forward to signing the “anti-corruption” charter which he has initiated as the Chairman of the Alliance High School Old Boys Club.
i met Mugo bck at alliance high skul n after our principle then-khaemba,told us his life history,i told ma pals tat i had found a real role model.i luv excellence n i luv tat idea of meritocracy.mugo,continue wit our motto STRONG TO SERVE.
Someone I Look up to.
I’m proud that Mugo is steering Vision 2030. Our country’s vision belongs to us and I believe we should find a way to give this vision to Kenyans. To Mr. MUgo, I’m looking forward to working with you.
You a great leader we need your skills.
“Strong to Serve” was the Motto under which our formative years were shaped upon at Alliance High School.
Am proud of you Bwana Mugo and unto your footsteps,we shall follow.
Allan Maseghe
Mr. Mugo Kibati impresses me with His eloquent speeches he makes. He is a prolific orator and one should feel privileged just by listening to him.
After producing Barrack Obama Kenya boasts yet another great man in Mugo Kibati.Though you make us proud of our former high school, we know that your great sense of nationalism makes you acceptable to kenyans from all walks of life.goodwork bro.
The mere fact that am writing(and just been reading) about Mugo Kibati is inspiring enough..Even more inspiring will it be if Mr Mugo could accept an invitation to Kenyatta University’s Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation center where business Ideas are not only appreciated but also nurtured into practical ventures.Kindly pass this to him because we are so looking forward to interact with the Guru..Cheerz!!!
Mugo Kibati’s meritocracy approach is what Kenya needs. We cannot get to V2030 if we don’t develop core competencies. Soldier on, sir!
enthusiastic,competent and inspirational is what you are……Nothing deters you from achievments….
one more hurdle to tackle:ensuring that i keep on track..wonna be like you so what you do matters to me a lot….You are the man!!
He is an amazing person holding great vision for this Nation… Kudos to his wife for the great support.
We would love to have him speak in our Event on January 7th 2012 where over 500 Teenagers will be having a graduation celebration as they transition into High School.
His inspiring words could make a great difference!!!
The fact that he is the smartest CEO is amazing and not to mention that he is steering vision 2030 is simply inspiring.
Mk am realy inspired by your intellect.Indeed you are among the few leaders our country require to forge towards progress.Continue with the spirit of strong to serve.Busherians are proud of you whereever they are.Share your experience with us please.lets be in touch
Mugo u realy inspire me for who u r,havin big dreams 4 Kenya n very focused.i realy do my best to reach where yov are.