Minister
Hon. Charity Kaluki Ngilu, EGH, MP
Born 1952 is a Kenyan politician. She was Minister of Health from 2003 until 2007 and was appointed as Minister of Water and Irrigation in April 2008.
Ngilu was born in Mbooni, Makueni District in 1952. She worked as a secretary for Central Bank of Kenya, before becoming an entrepreneur. She acted as a director of a plastics extrusion factory.In Kenya's first ever multiparty elections held in 1992, Charity Ngilu pulled off a big surprise by capturing the Kitui central constituency seat on the Democratic Party ticket.In the December 1997 general election, she ran for the presidency and along with Wangari Maathai became the first ever female presidential candidates in Kenya. Ngilu then represented the Social Democratic Party of Kenya. She finished fifth.
Later, she joined National Party of Kenya. In the December 2002 general election, her party was part of the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC). The coalition went on to win the elections, and President Mwai Kibaki appointed her as Minister of Health when he named his Cabinet on January 3, 2003.