George Saitoti

Who was George Saitoti?

George Kinuthia Saitoti, E.G.H. was a Kenyan politician, businessman and American- and British-trained economist, mathematician and development policy thinker.

As a mathematician, Saitoti served as Head of the Mathematics Department at the University of Nairobi, pioneered the founding of the African Mathematical Union and served as its Vice-President from 1976–1979.

As an economist, Saitoti served as the Executive Chairman of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in 1990–91, and as President of the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States in 1999–2000, at the crucial phase of re-negotiating the new development partnership agreement to replace the expired Lomé Convention between the ACP bloc and the European Union. His book, The Challenges of Economic and Institutional Reforms in Africa influenced practical policy directions on an array of areas during the turbulent 1980s and 1990s.

Saitoti joined politics as a nominated Member of Parliament and Minister for Finance in 1983, rising to become Kenya's longest serving Vice-President, a proficient Minister for education, Internal Security and Provincial Administration and Foreign Affairs.