Najib Balala


Najib Balala is a Kenyan politician and the current Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, and the immediate former M.P. for Mvita Constituency. Balala is the party leader of The Republican Congress Party of Kenya a partner of the Jubilee Coalition.

Early life and education

Najib Balala attended primary school, Serani Boys, which qualified him to Kakamega High, a national school He studied Business Administration and International Urban Management and Leadership from the University of Toronto and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

Experience and career

Balala began his political career as the mayor of Mombasa, Kenya, thereafter he successfully vied for the Mvita parliamentary seat in 2002 general elections. Prior to that, Hon. Balala has served as the vice-chairman Kenya Tourism Board ; Chairman All Local Government Association of Kenya and Chairman of Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association.
Hon. Balala has been the longest serving Minister for Tourism, a position that he has held from the beginning of 2008 till 26 March 2012 when got sacked through a reshuffle of cabinet. Najib Balala then formed The Republican Congress Party of Kenya in April 2012 that became a principle partner in the Jubilee Coalition together with the President H.E Uhuru Kenyatta, H.E William Samoei Ruto, And Hon. Charity Ngilu
As cabinet secretary of mining he has revoked licenses issued in the previous government. He has been maliciously accused of corruption by one company Cortec Mining of requesting a bribe of nearly 1 million dollars for the reissuing of the license. The minister by revoking licenses has made Kenya an attractive investment destination.

Honors and awards