Jimmy Wanjigi

Last updated
Jimi Wanjigi
Born (1962-09-01) 1 September 1962 (age 61)
Citizenship Kenyan
Political party Safina party leader from march 2022
FatherMaina Wanjigi

Jimi Richard Wanjigi (born in 1962) is a Kenyan businessman and political strategist. [1]

Contents

He is the chief executive officer of Kwacha Group of Companies, a privately held family office with interests in various sectors of the Kenyan economy including agri-business, financial services, industrials and real estate. He is however best known for being the key political strategist for Raila Odinga's 2017 election campaigns and the quiet force behind Uhuru Kenyatta's 2013 election victory.

Early life and education

Wanjigi grew up around politics. His father, Maina Wanjigi served as a Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister in Kenya's first two cabinets.

Career

Business

He is currently the chief executive officer of Penter Group of Companies, a privately held family office with interests in various sectors of the Kenyan economy including agri-business, financial services, industrials and real estate. Jimi is a serial entrepreneur whose formal career in business begun in his early twenties when, after returning from University, he co-founded Kenya's first private garbage collection company, BINS Limited.

Political history

Jimi Wanjigi's alliance with politics started in 1992 during Kenya's first multi-party elections, where at a relatively young age, he got involved in Kenneth Matiba's election campaign. Wanjigi remained actively in politics behind the scenes during the years to come. He maintained a close friendship with the former vice president of Kenya George Saitoti until his death in June 2012. [2] [3] Following the death of Professor Saitoti in 2012, Jimmy moved his support to Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto for the presidency during the 2013 Kenyan general election. He played a pivotal role in brokering the alliance between Ruto's United Republican Party (Kenya) and Kenyatta's The National Alliance in 2012, leading to a joint ticket under what is now the Jubilee Party. [4] [5] [6] He reportedly brokered the peace between Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta in the aftermath of the 2013 Kenyan general election. [7] [8]

In 2017, he shifted his political support to Raila Odinga, causing a public fall out between Wanjigi and President Uhuru Kenyatta. This led to severe backlash against Wanjigi from the state including a travel blockade, a dramatic 3 day assault by the Kenyan police on his Muthaiga home and politically motivated charges being brought against him and his octogenarian father. The charges were eventually thrown out by the courts. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] In February 2018, a fake obituary of Wanjigi ran in the Daily Nation, in what was viewed as a politically motivated death threat. [14] [15] He sued the media house and was awarded Shs. 8million in damages. [16]

Personal life

Jimi is a son to former Kamukunji MP, and Cabinet Minister Maina Wanjigi. He's an alumnus of St. Mary's School, Nairobi where his schoolmates included Uhuru Kenyatta and Gideon Moi [17] [18] Following his NON-graduation he returned to Kenya to pursue a career in business. He studied business from 1982-1986. Jimi is married to Irene Nzisa, and their two children study at Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. [19] [20] [21]

Political Ambitions

In mid 2021 Wanjigi announced that he would seek the Orange Democratic Movement's ticket to run for the Presidency of Kenya at the 2022 general election. His announcement is viewed as a challenge of party leader Raila Odinga's perceived automatic nomination to run on the Orange Democratic Movement's ticket, who has officially declared his 5th attempt to run for presidency. [22] Wanjigi on the other hand who is running on a platform of bringing about an economic revolution, is a newcomer to elective politics and his candidature is likely to excite the Mount Kenya region. Currently his political party is Safina party.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Kenya</span>

The politics of Kenya take place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the president is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system in accordance with a new constitution passed in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uhuru Kenyatta</span> President of Kenya from 2013 to 2022

Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. The son of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president, he previously served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalonzo Musyoka</span> 10th Vice President of Kenya

Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka is a Kenyan politician who was the tenth Vice-President of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. Musyoka served in the government under the late President Daniel arap Moi as the Secretary of Kenya African National Union party (1980-1988), Assistant Minister for Works (1986-1988), Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly (1988-1992), Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1993 until 1998, Minister of Education (1998-2001); and subsequently, under the late President Mwai Kibaki, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs again from 2003 to 2004, then Minister of the Environment from 2004 to 2005. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2007 presidential election, after which he was appointed vice-president by Kibaki in January 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Ruto</span> President of Kenya since 2022

William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto is a Kenyan politician who is the fifth and current president of Kenya since 13 September 2022. Prior to becoming president, he served as the first elected deputy president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. Previously, holders of the position were referred to as Vice President and the officeholder was unelected and appointed by the President. He previously served in three cabinet portfolios as the Minister for Home Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture and as Minister for Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musalia Mudavadi</span> Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya since 2022

Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi is a Kenyan politician and land economist who is currently serving as Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya, and since 2023, in an expanded role of Foreign & Diaspora Affairs Minister of Kenya. He is a former party leader of the Amani National Congress (ANC), one of the founding political parties, of the Kenya Kwanza alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raila Odinga</span> Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013

Raila Amolo Odinga is a Kenyan politician who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata Constituency from 1992 to 2013 and has been the Leader of Opposition in Kenya since 2013. He is the leader of Azimio la Umoja–One Kenya Coalition Party.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is a centre-left political party in Kenya. It is the successor of a grassroots people's movement that was formed during the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum campaign. This movement separated in August 2007 into the Orange Democratic Movement Party of Kenya and the Wiper Democratic Movement – Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Saitoti</span> 6th Vice President of Kenya

George Musengi Saitoti, E.G.H. was a Kenyan politician, businessman and American- and British-trained economist, mathematician and development policy thinker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wiper Democratic Movement – Kenya</span> Kenyan political party

The Wiper Democratic Movement–Kenya (WDM-K), formerly Orange Democratic Movement–Kenya (ODM–Kenya), is a political party in Kenya, which originated as a result of the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum. The party tends to be more popular among the Kamba people. It is headed by Kalonzo Musyoka, who ran for president in 2007 and served as the vice-president in the Grand Coalition of Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga. He is now a member of the main opposition Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Kenyan general election</span>

General elections were held in Kenya on 4 March 2013. Voters elected the President, members of the National Assembly and newly formed Senate. They were the first elections held under the new constitution, which was approved in a 2010 referendum, and were also the first run by the new Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). They coincided with the 2013 Kenyan local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Republican Party (Kenya)</span> Political party in Kenya

The United Republican Party (URP) was a political party in Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidency of Uhuru Kenyatta</span>

The presidency of Uhuru Kenyatta began on 9 April 2013 after being sworn in as 4th president of Kenya and ended on 13 September 2022 after handing over to William Ruto. He succeeded Mwai Kibaki. During his inaugural speech Uhuru promised economic transformation by 2030, unity among all Kenyans, free maternal care and that he would serve all Kenyans. In 2017, he won a second term on 8 August and upon a Supreme Court verdict, the results were repealed. The resulting elections were controversial as Raila Odinga boycotted the elections and as the only other active candidate, he won by a 98% victory with the lowest turn out. A stalemate would result as Raila and His partners would carry out a parallel swearing in ceremony after Kenyatta's swearing in. Riots would break out as Raila entered the country resulting in a number of deaths. On 28 March the two partnered to form the Building bridges initiative ending the tense political atmosphere present in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Kenyan general election</span>

General elections were held in Kenya on 8 August 2017 to elect the President, members of the National Assembly and Senate. They coincided with the 2017 Kenyan local elections which elected Governors and representatives in the devolved governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jubilee Party</span> Nationalist political party in Kenya

The Jubilee Party of Kenya is a major political party in Kenya. It was the country's ruling party from 2016 to 13 September 2022. The party was founded on 8 September 2016, following the merger of 11 smaller parties. During the 2017 election, the Jubilee Party secured a plurality of seats in Parliament and the party leader, Uhuru Kenyatta, was re-elected president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Super Alliance</span> Political party in Kenya

The National Super Alliance, known by the abbreviation NASA, was a Kenyan political coalition of opposition centre-left parties that was formed in January 2017. The coalition was created to oppose President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto in the 2017 general elections. Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka, Moses Wetangula and Isaac Ruto were the co-principals of the coalition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">October 2017 Kenyan presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Kenya on 26 October 2017 following the Supreme Court's annulment of the results of the presidential vote in the August 2017 general elections. The election was won by incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta of the Jubilee Party, who won 98.3% of the popular vote to defeat Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Roselyn Kwamboka Akombe is a Kenyan former commissioner of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Kenya handshake</span> 2018 political truce between two leading political factions

The 2018 Kenya handshake was a political truce made on 9 March 2018 between Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The two had been the leaders of opposing political factions amidst widespread political violence and civil unrest; they had previously faced one another in the contested 2017 Kenyan general election. Under the agreement, their political feud with an agreement that Kenyatta would support Odinga in the upcoming presidential elections. Consequently, the Azimio coalition was formed, Uhuru became its chairman, and Odinga became the presidential candidate with Martha Karua as his running mate. They lost to William Ruto, who was then Kenyatta's deputy. They challenged Ruto's victory in the Supreme Court, but Chief Justice Martha Koome said his claims did not meet the evidentiary threshold and dismissed the case. At a March 2023 protest in Nairobi they demanded an audit of the IEBC election servers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Kenyan general election</span>

General elections were held in Kenya on Tuesday, 9 August 2022. Voters elected the president, governors, senators, members of the National Assembly, and members of county assemblies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azimio la Umoja</span> Political party in Kenya

Azimio la Umoja–One Kenya Coalition Party, popularly referred to as Azimio la Umoja, or simply Azimio, is a Kenyan political alliance and party headed by Raila Odinga. It is composed of the Orange Democratic Movement, the Jubilee Party, NARC–Kenya, KANU, and other parties. Former president Uhuru Kenyatta is the party's patron. The alliance fielded Odinga as its presidential candidate and Martha Karua as its deputy presidential candidate in the 2022 Kenyan election, which they lost.

References

  1. ↑ "Who is Jimi Wanjigi?". Briceka.com. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  2. ↑ App, Daily Nation. "Inside Saitoti's mysterious life". mobile.nation.co.ke. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  3. ↑ Reporter, Nairobian. "Who secretly wired out George Saitoti's billions?". Standard Digital News. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  4. ↑ "Puzzle of Wanjigi at Ruto lunch meeting". Daily Nation. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  5. ↑ "Why Jimi Wanjigi fell out with Uhuru". Daily Nation. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  6. ↑ Reporter, Nairobian. "Why Jubilee, Nasa were dying for a piece of 'James Wanjigi Bond'". Standard Digital News. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  7. ↑ Oluoch, Derrick. "Uhuru Kenyatta's government was formed in this house- Jimi Wanjigi explodes after raid in palatial home". Standard Digital News. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  8. ↑ Exposed: Uhuru-Raila deal at Wanjigi home - VIDEO , retrieved 2019-11-25
  9. ↑ "Kenya allows opposition figures to travel after barring them overnight". Reuters. 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  10. ↑ "Kenya crackdown on media, opposition attracts heavy criticism". Reuters. 2018-02-07. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  11. ↑ "Kenyan election head: No guarantee vote will be free and fair". Reuters. 2017-10-18. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  12. ↑ Titus, Waweru. "Police raid Jimmy Wanjigi's Muthaiga home (Photos)". The Standard. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  13. ↑ "High Court quashes gun charges against businessman Jimi Wanjigi".
  14. ↑ "Man behind Jimmy Wanjigi death announcement exposed". Citizentv.co.ke. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  15. ↑ Briana Duggan and Stephanie Busari (7 February 2018). "Kenyan newspaper publishes obituary for opposition figure -- who isn't dead". CNN. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  16. ↑ Muthoni, Kamau. "Wanjigi, wife get Sh8m for obituary". The Standard. Retrieved 2019-11-28.
  17. ↑ Kimanzi, Michael Chepkwony and Diana. "Uhuru and Gideon join alumni as St Mary's marks 8 decades". The Standard. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  18. ↑ "Uhuru dons full St Mary's uniform to mark 80th anniversary". Nairobi News. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  19. ↑ "Inside the multi-billion school where Jimmy Wanjigi's children study (Photos)". Pulselive Kenya. 2017-06-27. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  20. ↑ "Here's the swanky school that Jimi Wanjigi's children attend -PHOTOS". Nairobi News. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  21. ↑ "The covert life of Jimi Wanjigi". Daily Nation. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  22. ↑ "Kenyan opposition leader Odinga announces fifth bid for president". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.