Hon. Robert Stanley Matano was born on 29th April 1925, first son of Mr. Stanley Kupata Mwenda and Alice Dzame Mwenda
at Mazeras town, 20 kimo from the historical town of Mombasa. At the age of 6 years, he started his education at Mazeras
Primary School. Details of his educations are;
1930 - Mazeras Primary School
1933 - Ribe Primary School
1935 - Kaloleni Primary School
1939 - Methodist Mission School now Kaaga Boys Secondary School
Hon Robert Matano constantly changed schools because his father, Stanley Mwenda was a renouned teacher. Stanley Mwenda,
a strict disciplinarian, is credited as having taught the Meru community in Eastern Province of Kenya how to bury their dead.
1941 - Alliance High School
At Alliance High School, he was elected Senior House Prefect. He was also Scout Leader, a member of the school choir,
and overall school Captain, leader of Sunday Services in local schools and a member of the Dramma Club
In 1945, he passed the Mkerere Univercity Entrance examination and joined what was then the premier college of higher
education in East Africa in 1946. After 3 years of Universioty education, he qualified as a teacher and was posted to Ribe
Boys School rfrom 1949 to 1952.. In 1953, he was transfered to his old school Alliance High School.where he taught Maths and
Geography.
Robert Stanley Matano married Ruth Kwekwe first daughter of Chief Elijah Rupia in 1951
Ruth Kwekwe was among the first girls from her community to be sent to school. Hon Robert Matano later married Susan
Nrori. In 1953 Robert Matano was promoted to the position of Assistant Education Officer in the Rift Valley Province town
of Naivasha.
In 1956, Hon Robert Matano secured a British Council bursary and travelled to Britain where he joined the Technical College,
Cardiff, and tourded educational institutions in Wales. In December that year, he returned to Kenya and was posted to Kwale
where he carried out the supervison and inspection of all schools. He was also manager of the District Edcation Board
schools in the Disteict.
In 1958 he was transfered to Mombasa
In 1961 he resigned and joined politics
In the General Elections of February, 1961, he was elected to the Legislative Counsil as a member for Kwale North.
A year later in 1962 he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education; a post he retained on formation
of the coalition government in April, 1962
In the General elections held in 1963, he was returned to the House of Representatives as KADU member for Kwale North
and was at the same time elected Vice-President of the then Coast Regional Assembly. On dissolution of KADU in 1964,
he joined KANU and was later appointed Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, before moving to the Ministry of Health in
May 1965.
1966 Jan - 30th June Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs
1966 July - 1967 June Assistant Minister for Health
1966 - 1969 Acting Assistant Secretary General of KANU
1967 June - 1968 September Assistant Minister in the Vice-President's Office
1973 March - 1975 February Minister for Information & Broadcasting
1975 Feb - 1975 August Minister for Co-operative Development
1975 Sept - 1989 Feb Minister for Local Government
1980 March - 1980 June Minister for Housing & Social Serivces
1980 June - 1983 Oct. Minister for Cooperative Development
1983 Nov - 1985 Minister for Information & Broadcasting
1985 August Dismissed as a minister
1988 he lost his post in the General election
