Former President Mwai Kibaki takes the oath of office as the President of Kenya after being re-elected in the 2007 General Elections during the swearing-in ceremony at State House, Nairobi [Courtesy].

From the regular online chatter, it’s evident that Kenyans miss retired President Mwai Kibaki. It’s easy to understand why.

Under him, the economy was booming, major infrastructural projects were inaugurated, free education was introduced and for the first time in the nation’s history, our budget was fully funded by our taxes.

I also think the media landscape was freest under his reign as well, save for that blemish when this media organisation was raided and the following day’s paper razed and the TV transmission signal switched off.

It was in that season that the late Mama Lucy visited the ‘Nation’ newsroom and slapped some journos around.

Now in the sunset of his life, Prezzo Kibaki has retreated from the public glare, but he’s still very much on Kenyans’ minds.

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Where I come from, we say people only recall the abundance of water when the well runs dry.

In these lean times, we appreciate those times of plenty; even our optimism was ranked among the world’s best.

What I miss the most about Prezzo Kibaki, besides that impish smile when he was about to laugh at his own joke, were his presidential insults: bure kabisa (very useless), kugeregarega (idling about) or mavi ya kuku (chicken poop).