David Ndii
{{short description|Kenyan economist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name =
| image = David Ndii - Monopoly in Africa? Investment and sustainable development Heinrich Boell Foundation (35198470415) (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption = David Ndii, 2017
| birth_name = David Ndii
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Kiambu, Kenya
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Kenya
| death_cause =
| other_names =
| known_for =
| alma_mater = {{Plainlist|
- University of Nairobi (Bachelor and Master)
- Oxford University (PhD)}}
| occupation = Economist, columnist, journalist
| years_active =
| 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".{{Cite news|last=Blomfield|first=Adrian|date=4 December 2017|title=Opposition campaigner David Ndii arrested in Kenya as political crises deepens|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/04/opposition-campaigner-david-ndiiarrested-kenya-political-crises/|access-date=30 June 2020|issn=0307-1235}}
Early life and education
He is a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University and an Eisenhower Fellow.{{Cite web|title=David Ndii, the scholar and economist who designed graft index|url=https://www.nation.co.ke/kenya/news/david-ndii-the-scholar-and-economist-who-designed-graft-index-484120|access-date=30 June 2020|website=Daily Nation|date=28 June 2020 |language=en}} Ndii holds a doctorate and master's degrees in economics from Oxford, masters and bachelor's degrees from the University of Nairobi.{{Cite web |title=Safaricom Journalism |url=https://www.sbs.strathmore.edu/safaricom_journalism/faculty.php |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=www.sbs.strathmore.edu}}
Politics
For several years,{{when|date=November 2022}} he was chief strategist of the National Super Alliance.{{Cite web|last=Ruto|first=Japhet|url=https://www.tuko.co.ke/341437-uhuru-legacy-govt-impoverished-kenyans---david-ndii.html|title=Uhuru has no legacy, his govt has impoverished Kenyans – David Ndii|date=19 February 2020|website=Tuko.co.ke – Kenya news.}}{{Cite web|last=Shiundu|first=Linda|url=https://www.tuko.co.ke/267766-nasa-strategist-david-ndii-renounces-kikuyu-tribe-favor-luo.html|title=NASA strategist David Ndii renounces his Kikuyu tribe in favor of Luo|date=5 March 2018|website=Tuko.co.ke – Kenya news.}}
In recent years{{when|date=November 2022}} 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".{{Cite news|url=https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/sit-on-a-pin-mutahi-ngunyi-tells-off-david-ndii-over-uhurus-radio-interview-in-kikuyu/ar-BB12gAfX|title=Sit on a pin: Mutahi Ngunyi tells off David Ndii over Uhuru's radio interview in Kikuyu|last=Nyaguthie|first=Racheal|date=7 April 2020|access-date=19 April 2020|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theelephant.info/reflections/2020/03/25/open-letter-to-president-uhuru-kenyatta/|title=Open Letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta|access-date=18 April 2020|language=en-US|last=Ndii|first=David}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.kenyans.co.ke/personality/david-ndii|title=About David Ndii on kenyans.co.ke|access-date=6 April 2020|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|last=Kitimo|first=Anthony|url=https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Top-activists-meeting-cancelled-security-reasons/1056-5334252-13csq4qz/index.html|title=Top activists meeting cancelled for security reasons|access-date=6 April 2020|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|last=Mbati|first=John|url=https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/47263-activists-who-ruffled-govt-feathers|title=Kenyan Activists Who Ruffled Govt Feathers in 2019|access-date=6 April 2020|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.okoamombasa.org/news/news-okoa-mombasa-launch/|title=Launch of the Okoa Mombasa Coalition on 2 November 2019|access-date=6 April 2020|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.kenya-today.com/news/economist-david-ndii-insults-uhuru-in-vernacular-over-division-of-revenue|title=Economist David Ndii insults Uhuru in vernacular over division of revenue|access-date=6 April 2020|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|last=Otieno|first=Brian|url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2019-11-04-okoa-mombasa-to-sue-tum-for-going-back-on-deal/|title=Okoa Mombasa to sue TUM for going back on deal|access-date=6 April 2020|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/261087c2-d8d1-11e7-a039-c64b1c09b482|title=Kenyans react to reports that China may take over Mombasa port|access-date=7 April 2020|language=en-US}}{{excessive citations inline|date=November 2022}}
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.{{Cite web |last=Muriungi |first=Muriuki |title=The Kenyan High Court's BBI Judgment – I: Constitutional Amendment through Popular Initiative {{!}} OHRH |url=https://ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk/the-kenyan-high-courts-bbi-judgment-i-constitutional-amendment-through-popular-initiative/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2022-04-01 |title=Kenya's Supreme Court declares BBI unconstitutional |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/kenya-s-supreme-court-declares-bbi-unconstitutional-3766868 |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=The East African |language=en}}
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.{{cite web |first=Joseph |last=Muia |url=https://www.citizen.digital/news/david-ndii-explains-kenya-kwanza-special-strategy-of-fighting-corruption-n301548 |title=David Ndii Explains Kenya Kwanza 'Special' Strategy Of Fighting Corruption |date=6 July 2022 |access-date=29 September 2022}}{{Cite news |last=KISIA |first=ALLAN |date=3 May 2021 |title=Ruto, Kibaki era economists agree on 2022 power plan |work=The Star Kenya |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2021-05-03-ruto-kibaki-era-economists-agree-on-2022-power-plan/}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Thiongó |first=Josphat |title=William Ruto names key State House officials ending anxious wait |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/politics/article/2001458115/william-ruto-names-key-state-house-officials-ending-anxious-wait |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=The Standard |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Ruto hands his allies plum State House jobs |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2022-10-14-ruto-hands-his-allies-plum-state-house-jobs/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=The Star |language=en-KE}}
More recently, David Ndii has been responding to tweets on X (formerly Twitter) about government policy with what one news source called "unspeakable language".NTV Kenya (2024). David Ndii defends G-to-G fuel deal and government borrowing in heated online debate. Retrieved from https://x.com/ntvkenya/status/1738633962644287600. In one instance, he tweeted, "We will leave Kenya as corrupt as we found it. On this Sunday I suggest you contemplate your own life and leave the other sinners to contemplate theirs. Tomorrow we go back to matters Ceaser."Ndii, David (2024). Commentary on Kenyan governance and corruption. Retrieved from https://x.com/DavidNdii/status/1835250784071499931.
Career
He is the chairman of the board of Zimele Asset Management Company Limited and the managing director of African Economics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.zimele.co.ke/board/|title=Board of Directors – Zimele Asset Management Company|work=Zimele Asset Management Company|access-date=13 August 2018|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nation.co.ke/davidndii|title=About David Ndii on nation.co.ke|access-date=5 April 2020|language=en-US}}
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.{{Cite web |last=Mabinda |first=Amos |title=Profiles of President Ruto appointees |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/explainers/article/2001458147/profiles-of-president-ruto-appointees |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=The Standard |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://www.zimele.co.ke/board/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=Zimele Asset Management |language=en-US}} He cofounded Kenya's first independent policy think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs, together with Prof. Anyang' Nyong'o.{{Cite web |title=Institute of Economic Affairs |url=https://onthinktanks.org/think-tank/institute-of-economic-affairs/ |access-date=2022-11-04 |website=onthinktanks.org |language=en-US}}
Ndii lectured at Strathmore University.
References
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Category:21st-century Kenyan economists
Category:Alumni of the University of Oxford