John Paul Mwirigi

Last updated

Honorable

John Paul Mwirigi
Born (1994-01-07) 7 January 1994 (age 29)
Meru County, Kenya
Education Mount Kenya University
Bachelor of Education (Arts)
Occupation Politician
Years active2017 — present
Organisation Parliament of Kenya
Known forThe youngest elected MP in Kenya on an Independent ticket.
TitleMember of parliament for Igembe South Constituency
Meru County, Kenya
Predecessor Franklin Linturi
Political party UDA (since 2022)

John Paul Mwirigi (born 7 January 1994), is the Member of Parliament for Igembe South Constituency, Meru County, in the Kenya National Assembly. [1] He was elected in August 2017 at the age of 23 years, the youngest ever Kenyan member of parliament. [2] He was re-elected on 9 August 2022 as Igembe South Constituency MP with a total of 34, 561 votes. His closest opponent garnered 10,000 votes.

Contents

Background and education

Mwirigi was born on 7 January 1994 in Igembe South Constituency, Meru County. He is the sixth-born in a family of eight siblings. His family had modest means, but they could afford decent meals, according to his testimony. His father died in 2014, but his mother was still alive, at the time Mwirigi was elected to parliament in 2017. [3]

He attended Riaki Primary School and later Kirindine Day Secondary School , where he obtained his High School Diploma. He was admitted to Mount Kenya University, to pursue a Bachelor of Education(Arts) degree, specializing in History and Kiswahili. He was pursuing the degree as a part-time student, since he had to work to raise his tuition and upkeep. At the time he was elected to parliament, he was in his third year at the university. [3]

Work experience

Prior to his political career, he worked as a labourer at Igembe Tea Factory, carrying logs for KSh350 (US$3.50) a day. Sometimes he worked at a timber yard owned by a friend, carrying logs there as well. [3]

Political career

Beginning at age 19 years, while still in high school, he began to entertain the idea of becoming a member of the National Assembly of Kenya. His close friends encouraged him to pursue his dream. However, many others, including close family members tried to dissuade him from trying. [3]

The odds were stacked against him; he was too young, he did not belong to a political party and therefore lacked a ground political machine, he had no money and he had zero political experience. [3]

He stood as an independent candidate. This, according to him, ensured that his name would be on the ballot on election day. He feared that if he joined a political party, he would be rigged out of the primaries, due to lack of finances. [3]

He carried out a grassroots campaign, canvassing his constituency door-to-door, mainly on foot. Most of the resources used in the campaign were donated by well-wishers, according to Mwirigi. [3] He won, beating his nearest opponent by over 3,000 votes and garnering 76 percent of the total. [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mwai Kibaki</span> President of Kenya from 2002 to 2013

Emilio Mwai Kibaki was a Kenyan politician who served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meru County</span> County in Kenya

Meru County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya. It borders Isiolo County to the north, Tharaka-Nithi County to the east, Nyeri County to the southwest and Laikipia County to the west. The home of the Meru people, Meru County has a population of 1.55 million people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Kijana Wamalwa</span> 8th Vice President of Kenya

Michael Christopher Kijana Wamalwa was a renowned Kenyan politician who at the time of his death was serving as the eighth Vice-President of Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meru people</span> Kenyan ethnic group

The Meru or Amîîrú are a Bantu ethnic group that inhabit the Meru region of Kenya. The region is situated on the fertile lands of the north and eastern slopes of Mount Kenya in the former Eastern Province.

Kiraitu Murungi is a Commissioner at the Kenya Law Reform Commission and the former governor of Meru County in Kenya. He is a former long-serving member of parliament for South Imenti constituency (1992-2013), former cabinet minister, and former senator for Meru County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Munya</span> Kenyan politician

Peter Gatirau Munya is the immediate former Cabinet Secretary of Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture. He took over the ministry on 14 January 2020 after being transferred from the Ministry of Trade and Industrialization. He also served in the same capacity in the ministry of East African Community and Northern Corridor Development.

Kabando wa Kabando is a Kenyan politician and activist. He represented the Mukurweini Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya for two terms having been elected for the first time in the 2007 Kenyan general election under the Safina Party which he was a member until 2022.

Bonny Khalwale is a Kenyan politician, the current Senator for Kakamega County and a former medical doctor.

Bernard Mate was a Kenyan politician and one of the first group of Africans to be elected to the Legislative Council of Kenya (LegCo), the legislative arm of government in the British Colony of Kenya, representing what was the black constituency of Central Kenya. He served three terms in the LegCo until he lost his seat in 1979. He died on 6 January 1994, after a short illness. As a politician, he was part of the KADU's delegation to the Lancaster House conferences, which set the framework for Kenyan independence. He was described by Oginga Odinga as a philosopher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yusuf Hassan Abdi</span> Kenyan politician

Yusuf Hassan Abdi is a Kenyan politician, diplomat, social activist and former journalist. After working many years with the United Nations, he joined the Kenya parliament as a legislator in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ekwee Ethuro</span> Kenyan politician

Ekwee David Ethuro is a Kenyan politician. He was elected as the first Speaker of the modern Kenyan Senate on 28 March 2013. From 1998 to 2013 he served as a Member of Parliament representing Turkana Central. He also served as the Assistant Minister for Planning and National Development from 1998 to 2002 under the government of President Daniel arap Moi. He was re-elected as Member of Parliament for Turkana Central in the 2007 general elections and steered the proceedings of the 10th Parliament in the position of acting Speaker of the House whenever the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker were absent.

Dennis Akumu (1934-2016) was a Kenyan politician, trade unionist and independence freedom fighter. He was the first secretary general of the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irungu Kang'ata</span> Current Muranga County Governor

Irungu Kang'ata is a Kenyan politician. He is the governor of Muranga County. He also is the former senator of Murang'a County, and the former Senate of Kenya Majority Chief Whip, former member of parliament for Kiharu Constituency and a former Councillor for Central Ward in Murang'a town. He is a law graduate from the University of Nairobi and a principal in the firm Irungu Kangata & Co. Advocates located at Flamingo Towers 4th floor, Upperhill, Nairobi. He holds PhD (Law) University of Nairobi and teaches law at Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi.

Omar Mwinyi Shimbwa is a Kenyan politician and member of the Kenyan Parliament. He was elected as a member (MP) of the National Assembly of Kenya in 2013. He was re-elected in the August 2017 General Election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ndindi Nyoro</span> Kenyan politician

Ndindi Nyoro, CBS, MP is a Kenyan politician, an economist and an entrepreneur, and currently the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kiharu Constituency serving a second term. Ndindi belongs to United Democratic Alliance (UDA), a political party under the Kenya Kwanza alliance led by the current and fifth president of Kenya, Dr William Ruto. He is a graduate of Kenyatta University with a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) and was a student leader at the same university. Ndindi occupies a markedly controversial position in Kenya's political life, having risen to prominence with his disdain for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party leader Raila Odinga, and later an unequivocal supporter for William Ruto's 2022 presidential bid despite rebuff and arduous political battle from Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenyan fourth president, who was determined to thwart Ruto's ascension to presidency. Ndindi has been rated as among the best performing Members of Parliament in Kenya, and he is currently the Chairman of Budget and Appropriations Committee in the National Assembly. During Kenya's 59th Jamhuri Day, Ndindi was feted by President William Ruto with an honour of Chief of Burning Spear (CBS) for his exemplary development record in Kiharu constituency.

Paul Ongili Owino, also known as Babu Owino, is a Kenyan politician and member of parliament for Embakasi East Constituency. He gained media recognition as the chairperson of Students Organisation of Nairobi University (SON). He is probably the next successor to Opposition Chief Raila Odinga

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Langat</span>

Hon. Amb. CPA Benjamin Kipkirui Langat, CBS is the current Member of Parliament for Ainamoi Constituency and immediate former Kenya High Commissioner to Namibia. He also served as the Member of Parliament for Ainamoi Constituency in Kericho from 2008 to 2017. He holds a Master of Business Administration Degree in Accounting and Bachelor of Commerce Degree both from the University of Nairobi. He is also a fully qualified Certified Public Accountant and member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya in good standing.

Zachariah Kìnùthia, popularly known as Zack Kìnùthia, was the Chief Administrative Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage between January 2020 and February 2022 when he resigned. He is also a former chairman of Student Organization of Nairobi University (SONU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Njeri Maina</span> Kirinyaga County Woman Representative

Jane Njeri Maina is a Kenyan politician who is currently a member of the Kenya National Assembly as Woman Representative for Kirinyaga County. She is a member of the United Democratic Alliance a Kenya Kwanza affiliate party.

References

  1. ↑ Darlington Manyara (9 August 2017). "Youngest MP: 23-year-old independent candidate trounces big". Nairobi: SDE Kenya. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  2. ↑ Rene Otinga (16 September 2017). "Pleasant surprise: Uhuru donates brand new Toyota Prado to 'broke' 23-year-old MP as he promised". Nairobi: TUKO Kenya. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chacha, Gardy (11 November 2017). "John Paul Mwirigi: From carrying logs to making laws". Evewoman - Woman's World. Nairobi: Standard Media Kenya. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  4. ↑ Ismail Akwei (10 August 2017). "23-year-old student who campaigned on foot wins Kenyan MP seat". Africanews.com. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  5. ↑ Mwere, David (31 August 2017). "Igembe South MP rides in matatu to State House date". Daily Nation . Nairobi.
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.