Najib Balala
{{Short description|Kenyan politician}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{BLP sources|date=July 2012}}
{{advert|date=July 2012}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Najib Balala
| native_name = نجيب بالعلا
| image = Najibu Balala (cropped).JPG
| office = Cabinet Secretary for Tourism
| term_start = 15 May 2013
| term_end = 27 October 2022
| president = Uhuru Kenyatta
| predecessor =
| successor =
| office2 = Minister for Tourism
| term_start2 = 2008
| term_end2 = March 2012
| president2 = Mwai Kibaki
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 = Danson Mwazo
| office3 = Member of Parliament
for Mvita Constituency
| term_start3 = 2003
| term_end3 = 2013
| predecessor3 = Shariff Nassir
| successor3 = Abdulswamad Nassir
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|09|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Mombasa, Kenya
| nationality = Kenyan
| party = Republican Congress
| spouse = Najaah
| children = 4
| alma_mater = US International University
| website = {{URL|www.najibbalala.com}}
}}
Najib Balala (born 20 September 1967) is a Kenyan politician who formerly served as the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism. He traces his ancestral origin to the Hadhrami people of Yemen. He is a former M.P. for Mvita Constituency{{Cite web|date=2018-09-12|title=Hon. Najib Balala|url=https://live.worldbank.org/experts/hon-najib-balala|access-date=2021-05-23|website=World Bank Live}} and leader of The Republican Congress Party of Kenya (RC), a partner of the Jubilee Coalition.{{Cite web|date=2018-09-12|title=Hon. Najib Balala|url=https://live.worldbank.org/experts/hon-najib-balala|access-date=2021-02-21|website=World Bank Live}}
Early life and education
Born to a Hadhrami family, Balala attended Serani Boys primary school, and Kakamega High School, a national school.{{Cite web|title=Najib Balala|url=https://info.mzalendo.com/person/najib-balala/experience/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=Mzalendo}} He studied Business Administration and International Urban Management and Leadership at the University of Toronto, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.{{Cite web|date=2018-09-12|title=Hon. Najib Balala|url=https://live.worldbank.org/experts/hon-najib-balala|access-date=2021-05-23|website=World Bank Live}}
Experience and career
- Prior to venturing into public life, Najib Balala worked in private sector tourism, and eventually joined a family tea and coffee trading business{{Cite web|title=Todays UNWTO Star: Hon. Najib Balala from Kenya|url=https://worldtourismwire.com/the-unwto-star-hon-najib-balala-from-kenya-4414/|last=Steinmetz|first=Juergen|date=2019-09-13|website=Worldtourism Wire|access-date=2020-05-28}}
- Secretary of The Swahili Cultural Centre (1993–1996)
- Chairman of Coast Tourist Association (1996–1999)
- Mayor of Mombasa (1998–1999)
- Chairman, Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Mombasa Chapter) (2000–2003)
- Member of Parliament for Mvita Constituency (27 Dec 2002 – 15 Dec 2007)
- Minister for Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services (7 Jan 2003 – 31 June 2004)
- Acting Minister for Labour (Jan – June 2003)
- Minister for National Heritage (31 June – 21 Nov 2005)
- Member of Parliament for Mvita Constituency (27 Dec 2007 – 15 Jan 2013)
- Chairman of the UNWTO Executive Council{{Cite web|title=Tourism CS Balala Elected to Chair Global UNWTO Executive Council|url=https://www.atta.travel/news/2019/09/tourism-cs-balala-elected-to-chair-global-unwto-executive-council/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=atta.travel}} (11 Nov 2011 – March 2012)
- Minister for Tourism (17 Apr 2008 – 26 March 2012)
- Cabinet Secretary for Mining (15 May 2013 – June 2015)
- Cabinet Secretary for Tourism (June 2015 to 2022)
Politics
Balala began his political career as the Mayor of Mombasa, Kenya.{{Cite web|title=CS Najib Balala|url=https://www.worldtoafrica.org/cs-najib-balala.html|website=2020 World Tourism Conference|access-date=2020-05-15}} He was then elected to a Mvita parliamentary seat in the 2002 general elections. Prior to that, Balala served as vice-chairman of Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), Chairman of All Local Government Association of Kenya, and Chairman of Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association.{{Cite web|title=AHIF|url=https://www.ahif.com/speakers/hon-najib-balala|access-date=2021-05-23|website=ahif.com}}
Balala was the longest serving Minister for Tourism, a position he held from the beginning of 2008 until 26 March 2012, when he was dismissed during a cabinet reshuffle.{{Citation needed|date=August 2013}} He formed The Republican Congress Party of Kenya (RC) in April 2012 that became a principal partner in the Jubilee Coalition with President Uhuru Kenyatta (TNA), William Samoei Ruto (URP), and Charity Ngilu (Narc).
As Cabinet Secretary for Mining, he revoked licenses issued by the previous government. He has been accused of corruption by Cortec Mining for requesting a bribe of nearly $1 million for the reissuing of the license.
In December 2023, he, along with former principal secretary Leah Addah Gwiyo, and managing partner of West Consults John Odero, were accused of inflating the cost of the project to build a tourism college and arrested. He was the first former minister to be arrested on corruption charges since William Ruto was elected in 2022 on a platform of fighting corruption.{{Cite news |date=2023-12-22 |title=Najib Balala: Kenyan former tourism minister arrested on corruption charges |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67799201 |access-date=2024-02-08}}{{Cite web |date=2023-12-22 |title=Former Kenyan minister and 2 others charged with fraud over hospitality college project |url=https://apnews.com/article/kenya-corruption-tourism-minister-charged-fraud-6594e5e05acdc9d8bfa07a66836843d4 |access-date=2024-02-08 |agency=Associated Press}}
Honors and awards
- Silver Star Medal by President{{Cite web|title=Kenya Order of the Golden Heart|url=https://gmic.co.uk/topic/47924-kenya-order-of-the-golden-heart/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=Gentleman's Military Interest Club}}
- E.G.H (Elder of Golden Heart) Medal by President[https://web.archive.org/web/20170420221327/http://www.president.go.ke/2017/04/20/kenya-must-resist-radical-fanatics-embrace-religious-diversity-president-kenyatta/ Kenya must resist radical fanatics]
- Africa Tourism Minister 2009.{{Cite web|title=Kenya-ªs Balala named Africa Tourism Minister of the Year|url=https://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=1134997|access-date=2021-05-23|website=travelmole.com}}
- Best African Minister for Tourism 2010.{{Cite web|title=AHIF|url=https://www.ahif.com/speakers/hon-najib-balala-1|access-date=2021-05-23|website=ahif.com}}
- Vice-president UNWTO World Tourism Organization{{Citation needed|date=August 2013}}
- Chairman UNWTO World Tourism Organization.{{Cite web|date=2018-09-12|title=Hon. Najib Balala|url=https://live.worldbank.org/experts/hon-najib-balala|access-date=2021-05-23|website=World Bank Live}}{{Cite web|date=2019-09-14|title=Tourism CS Balala elected to chair global UNWTO Executive Council|url=https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/2019/09/tourism-cs-balala-elected-to-chair-global-unwto-executive-council/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=Capital Business}}
- World Travel and Tourism Council WTT Global Champion.{{Cite web|title=Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala wins top Tourism Global Award|url=https://radiojambo.co.ke/habari/2019-04-07-cabinet-secretary-najib-balala-wins-top-tourism-global-award/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=Radio Jambo}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Najib Balala}}
- {{Official website}}
- [https://www.scribd.com/Tunajibu Scribd account]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20170718210926/http://www2.unwto.org/ UNWTO Tourism Video Competition]
{{Current Kenya Cabinet}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balala, Najib}}
Category:Government ministers of Kenya
Category:Kenyan people of Yemeni descent