David Ndii Explained

Birth Name:David Ndii
Birth Place:Kiambu, Kenya
Nationality:Kenya
Occupation:Economist, columnist, journalist
Spouse:Mwende Gatabaki

David Ndii (born in Kiambu, Kenya) is an economist, a columnist, and an author. The Telegraph has described him as "one of Africa's best known economists and an outspoken anti-corruption crusader".[1]

Early life and education

He is a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University and an Eisenhower Fellow.[2] Ndii holds a doctorate and master's degrees in economics from Oxford, masters and bachelor's degrees from the University of Nairobi.[3]

Politics

For several years, he was chief strategist of the National Super Alliance.[4] [5]

In recent years he has been an open critic of the economic policy of the Uhuru Kenyatta administration, writing several open letters and tweets criticizing the government's economic policies and borrowing of loans. This, among other things, led to him being barred from accessing the Technical University of Mombasa for "security reasons".[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

Ndii opposed Kenyatta and Prime Minister Raila Odinga's signature handshake project, the Building Bridges Initiative. Together with other activists, he petitioned the High Court of Kenya in the landmark David Ndii & Others V. Attorney General & Others case which was argued all the way to the Supreme Court of Kenya leading to the collapse of the Building Bridges Initiative.[15] [16]

He would go on to support the presidential bid of William Ruto. He subsequently was involved in the crafting of the Kenya Kwanza manifesto which was anchored on the bottom-up economic agenda.[17] [18] After Ruto won the Presidency, Ndii was appointed the chairperson of the President's Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) in President Ruto's State House.[19] [20]

Career

He is the chairman of the board of Zimele Asset Management Company Limited and the managing director of African Economics.[21] [22]

Ndii has previously served as an economic advisor to the Government of Rwanda and led the NARC Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS) taskforce which was widely credited with the post-2003 economic recovery in Kenya.[23] [24] He cofounded Kenya's first independent policy think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs, together with Prof. Anyang' Nyong'o.[25]

Ndii lectured at Strathmore University.

Notes and References

  1. News: Blomfield. Adrian. 4 December 2017. Opposition campaigner David Ndii arrested in Kenya as political crises deepens. en-GB. The Telegraph. 30 June 2020. 0307-1235.
  2. Web site: David Ndii, the scholar and economist who designed graft index. 30 June 2020. Daily Nation. 28 June 2020 . en.
  3. Web site: Safaricom Journalism . 2022-11-04 . www.sbs.strathmore.edu.
  4. Web site: Ruto. Japhet. Uhuru has no legacy, his govt has impoverished Kenyans – David Ndii. 19 February 2020. Tuko.co.ke – Kenya news..
  5. Web site: Shiundu. Linda. NASA strategist David Ndii renounces his Kikuyu tribe in favor of Luo. 5 March 2018. Tuko.co.ke – Kenya news..
  6. News: Sit on a pin: Mutahi Ngunyi tells off David Ndii over Uhuru's radio interview in Kikuyu. Nyaguthie. Racheal. 7 April 2020. 19 April 2020. en-US.
  7. News: Open Letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta. 18 April 2020. en-US. Ndii. David.
  8. News: About David Ndii on kenyans.co.ke. 6 April 2020. en-US.
  9. News: Kitimo. Anthony. Top activists meeting cancelled for security reasons. 6 April 2020. en-US.
  10. News: Mbati. John. Kenyan Activists Who Ruffled Govt Feathers in 2019. 6 April 2020. en-US.
  11. News: Launch of the Okoa Mombasa Coalition on 2 November 2019. 6 April 2020. en-US.
  12. News: Economist David Ndii insults Uhuru in vernacular over division of revenue. 6 April 2020. en-US.
  13. News: Otieno. Brian. Okoa Mombasa to sue TUM for going back on deal. 6 April 2020. en-US.
  14. News: Kenyans react to reports that China may take over Mombasa port. 7 April 2020. en-US.
  15. Web site: Muriungi . Muriuki . The Kenyan High Court's BBI Judgment – I: Constitutional Amendment through Popular Initiative OHRH . 2022-11-04 . en-US.
  16. Web site: 2022-04-01 . Kenya's Supreme Court declares BBI unconstitutional . 2022-11-04 . The East African . en.
  17. Web site: Joseph . Muia . David Ndii Explains Kenya Kwanza 'Special' Strategy Of Fighting Corruption . 6 July 2022 . 29 September 2022.
  18. News: KISIA . ALLAN . 3 May 2021 . Ruto, Kibaki era economists agree on 2022 power plan . The Star Kenya .
  19. Web site: Thiongó . Josphat . William Ruto names key State House officials ending anxious wait . 2022-11-04 . The Standard . en.
  20. Web site: Ruto hands his allies plum State House jobs . 2022-11-04 . The Star . en-KE.
  21. Web site: Board of Directors – Zimele Asset Management Company. Zimele Asset Management Company. 13 August 2018. en-US.
  22. News: About David Ndii on nation.co.ke. 5 April 2020. en-US.
  23. Web site: Mabinda . Amos . Profiles of President Ruto appointees . 2022-11-04 . The Standard . en.
  24. Web site: Board of Directors . 2022-11-04 . Zimele Asset Management . en-US.
  25. Web site: Institute of Economic Affairs . 2022-11-04 . onthinktanks.org . en-US.