Hon. Mutahi Kagwe
Mutahi Kagwe is a seasoned Kenyan politician, businessman, and public servant, known for his long career across government and the private sector. Born in 1958 in Mukurweini, Nyeri County, he began his education at Kihate Primary School before joining Kagumo High School for both O- and A-levels. He later pursued higher education at the University of Nairobi, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Insurance in 1981, and went on to earn an MBA from the United States International University (USIU) in 1992. Before joining politics, Kagwe built a successful career in the private sector, serving as Commercial Director at Standard Media Group from 1987 to 1989, and later founding several ventures including a publishing house, a regional consumer research consultancy, and Tell-Em PR, a leading public relations firm.
He first entered elective politics in 2002 when he was elected Member of Parliament for Mukurweini Constituency on a NARC ticket, where he chaired the influential Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Trade, Tourism, and Planning. In 2005, President Mwai Kibaki appointed him Minister for Information, Communication, and Technology, a role in which he spearheaded transformative projects such as the TEAMS (Transformational East African Marine System) fiber-optic cable and supported the rollout of M-Pesa, Kenya’s pioneering mobile money service. Later, from 2013 to 2017, Kagwe served as the first Senator of Nyeri County, where he introduced progressive initiatives including the “Best Classroom” early childhood education program and the Cyber Security and Protection Bill.
In 2020, he was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Health by President Uhuru Kenyatta, a role that placed him at the center of Kenya’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. His frequent press briefings and leadership during the crisis earned him the nickname “Mr. Covid.” After leaving the ministry in 2022, Kagwe made a political comeback in December 2024 when President William Ruto nominated him as Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development. During his 2025 vetting, he pledged to modernize agriculture and make it more appealing to youth through the adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.
