Kibaki handed over the Kenyan Presidency on 9th April 2013 to President Uhuru Kenyatta marking the end of his 50 years of public service.

Kibaki was appointed the UNESCO Special Envoy for water in Africa on 5th April 2016. His mandate was to Promote Sustainable Management of Water Resources through raising awareness on availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation in the continent.

Since his appointment, Kibaki with the assistance of the office of the Special Envoy has engaged in the following activities:

On August 11th, 2016, he held a consultative meeting with the African Ambassadors and the High Commissioners based in Nairobi on the role of UNESCO Special Envoy for Water in Africa.

In July 2016 Kibaki participated in the 6th African Water Week 2016 in Dar es saalam, Tanzania, organized by AMCOW whose theme was Achieving SDGs on Water Security and Sanitation. He participated by giving a keynote address at the opening plenary.  

On 28th to 2nd September 2016 he participated in the World Water Week: Africa Focus 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden through a delegation that represented him. The theme was “Water for Sustainable growth” that was tackled through the lens of inclusiveness, equity and shared benefits. It was also the 20th jubilee of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.
On 20th to 25th November 2016, he participated in the First Kenya Water Week and organized a session on Water for Human Development, peace and dignity held in Nairobi among other engagements.

Kibaki also continued to be the patron of the Millennium Water Alliance Kenya chapter. The alliance brings together various donors undertaking water, nutrition and sanitation projects in the country.