SAFINA PARTY LEADER: Paul Muite
Paul Kibugi Muite, a prominent figure in Kenya’s second Liberation struggle to abolish the single party dictatorship enforced on by the Kenya African National Union in 1982, is a senior Kenyan lawyer and advocate of the High court of Kenya with over 50 years of experience, politician and Human rights activist.
Born on the 18th of April 1945 in then Kenya Colony and did his primary education at Kanyiri Primary School, later joining Thika High school where he completed his secondary education.
Mr Muite holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of London and a higher diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law, which allowed him to start his practice in the country. He started his law firm, P.K.Muite Advocates, which many consider as one of the best if not the best judging from the cases and clients he has represented. Most notably Mr. Muite’s firm was selected to represent the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission after a petition was filled leading to the nullification of the August 2017 General Elections.
Paul Muite has also served Kenyans and fought for their democratic rights in the different capacities he has held in the government. As a human rights lawyer, Paul Muite was substantial in the events that took place after July 1990. A struggle for human rights and a new constitution to restore multi-party democracy removed by KANU. This became the second liberation for Kenya.
He has also served as the vice-chairman of the Forum for Restoration of Democracy – Kenya while it was under the tutelage of Oginga Odinga. Paul Muite has also served as a law clerk in the years that preceded Kenya’s attainment of Independence, the first liberation.
He has also served in the National Assembly of Kenya as a Member of Parliament for Kabete Constituency from 1992 to 2007. During this period, he chaired the Key Parliamentary Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs and also chaired the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution Affairs.
In May 1995, amidst the second liberation, Paul Muite founded the Safina Party alongside paleoanthropologist and conservationist Richard Leakey. The Safina party was routinely harassed and even its application to become an official political party was not approved until 1997.
Paul Muite shook the political scene in 2013 when we vied for presidency on a Safina Ticket with his running mate, Shem Ochuodho. He claims this was a move aimed to inspire the younger generation to stand up and vie for the presidential seat and break the norm created around which select families should own the seat. This has come to pass through the very able Jimi Wanjigi set to vie for the top seat on a Safina ticket.
Paul Muite is married to Dr. Edith Muite with whom they have three grown-up children all successful in their careers.
