The German Africa Award 2004 went to the Kenyan John Githongo. He initially worked as a journalist, but later followed in his father’s footsteps and was elected to the international board of Transparency International.
In this office, John Githongo vehemently campaigned against corruption in Kenya. In 2002, he was appointed Permanent Secretary under the promising President Kibaki. His main task was to fight bribery and corruption. During his tenure, he was known for his credibility and had a strong impact on Kenya’s civilian population and the media.
Nevertheless, he was only able to fight his fight anti-corruption to a limited extent against the political elite around Kibaki and left office after 100 days of government under pressure. However, this did not diminish his achievements against corruption in Kenya.
The Award was presented by Federal President Prof Dr Horst Köhler.