Joseph Lekuton

Last updated

Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton [1] [2] (born 1968 or 1969) [1] is a Kenyan politician. He belongs to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and was elected to represent the Laisamis Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya since the 2007 Kenyan parliamentary election and reelected in 2013. [3] He was not elected in 2017, but returned in 2022. He joined Kenya Kwanza after being elected in the 2022 general election. [4]

Contents

Early life and education

He comes from the village of Karare. In his early twenties, Lekuton left for America to study Government, Economics and History at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. He taught at The Langley School in McLean, Virginia, before leaving for Harvard University where he earned a Master's degree in International Education policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Career

Lekuton is a prolific writer and a gifted public speaker. His book Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai in the African Savanna was published by National Geographic. [2] [5] The book is about his life as a Maasai child up until the point of him graduating college.

Over the years, Lekuton has sought to improve the education standards among his nomadic community, believing that this is the surest way to upward social mobility. Through the Nomadic Kenyan Children Education Fund (www.nkcef.org) and the Boma Fund Inc, a number of Kenyan children have a decent shot at better life through education. For his hard work and tireless efforts, Lekuton was recognized by the Kenyan government – he is the youngest recipient of the presidential honor. In October 2015, Hon. Lekuton was recognized by the President of Kenya during the Mashujaa Day celebrations and awarded Chief of Burning Spear, First Class (CBS).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kipsigis people</span>

The Kipsigis or Kipsigiis are a Nilotic tribe in Kenya. They are contingent of the Kalenjin ethnic group and speak Kipsigis language, a tonal language which is closely related to a group of languages collectively known as Kalenjin language. It is observed that the Kipsigis and an aboriginal race native to Kenya known as Ogiek have a merged identity. The Kipsigis are the most numerous of the Kalenjin. The latest Census population in Kenya put the kipsigis at 1.972 Million speakers accounting for 45% of all kalenjin speaking people. They occupy the highlands of Kericho stretching from Timboroa to Mara River in the south, the west of Mau Escarpment in the east to Kebeneti in the west. They also occupy, parts of Laikipia, Kitale, Nakuru, Narok, Trans Mara District, Eldoret and Nandi Hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maasai people</span> Ethnic group inhabiting Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda

The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting northern, central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the best-known local populations internationally due to their residence near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes and their distinctive customs and dress. The Maasai speak the Maa language, a member of the Nilotic language family that is related to the Dinka, Kalenjin and Nuer languages. Except for some elders living in rural areas, most Maasai people speak the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania, Swahili and English. The Maasai population has been reported as numbering 1,189,522 in Kenya in the 2019 census, compared to 377,089 in the 1989 census, though many Maasai view the census as government meddling and therefore either refuse to participate or actively provide false information. Many Maasai tribes throughout Tanzania and Kenya welcome visitors to their villages to experience their culture, traditions, and lifestyle, in return for a fee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serengeti National Park</span> National park in Mara and Simiyu Regions, Tanzania

The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over 14,763 km2 (5,700 sq mi). It is located in eastern Mara Region and northeastern Simiyu Region and contains over 1,500,000 hectares of virgin savanna. The park was established in 1940.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans-Nzoia County</span> County of Kenya

Trans-Nzoia County is a county in the former Rift Valley Province, Kenya, located between the Nzoia River and Mount Elgon, 380 km northwest of Nairobi. At its centre is the town of Kitale which is the capital and largest town. The county borders Bungoma to the west, Uasin Gishu and Kakamega to the south, Elgeyo-Marakwet to the east, West Pokot to the north and the republic of Uganda to the Northwest. Trans Nzoia covers an area of 2495.5 square kilometres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nairobi National Park</span> First national park in Kenya, Africa

Nairobi National Park is a national park in Kenya that was established in 1946 about 7 km (4.3 mi) south of Nairobi. It is fenced on three sides, whereas the open southern boundary allows migrating wildlife to move between the park and the adjacent Kitengela plains. Herbivores gather in the park during the dry season. Nairobi National Park is negatively affected by increasing human and livestock populations, changing land use and poaching of wildlife. Despite its proximity to the city and its relative small size, it boasts a large and varied wildlife population, and is one of Kenya's most successful rhinoceros sanctuaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Highlands</span>

The White Highlands is an area in the central uplands of Kenya. It was traditionally the homeland of indigenous Central Kenyan communities up to the colonial period, when it became the centre of European settlement in Kenya, and between 1902 and 1961 was officially reserved for the exclusive use of Europeans by the colonial government.

<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">Jonathan Scott (zoologist)</span>

Jonathan Scott is an English zoologist, wildlife photographer and television presenter specializing in African wildlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moses Wetangula</span> 8th and Current Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya

Moses Francis Masika Wetang'ula, is the current Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, as well as leader of the FORD-Kenya party. He served in the government of Kenya as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2012, and he was Minister for Trade from 2012 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noah Wekesa</span> Kenyan politician

Noah Mahalang’ang’a Wekesa is a Kenyan politician. He is affilaited to the Party of National Unity and was elected 1988, 2000, 2002 and in the 2007 Kenyan general election to represent the Kwanza Constituency of the National Assembly of Kenya. He lost the seat to Ferdinand Wanyonyi in March 2013. Wekesa was Assistant Minister at Agriculture and Livestock Development from 1988–1992 and May 2004 as Assistant Minister for Livestock and Fisheries. He was the Minister for Science and Technology from December 2005 to 2007 and also acted as Minister for Education in 2007. He was the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife from 2008–2012.

Amason Kingi Jeffah is a Kenyan politician currently serving as the Speaker of the Senate of Kenya. He is a member of the Pamoja African Alliance party, which he founded, and the Kenya Kwanza alliance. He served as the first governor of Kilifi County from 2013 to 2022, having been elected twice to the position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwanza Hall</span> American politician

Kwanza Hall is an American politician and businessman who briefly served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Georgia's 5th congressional district. He previously served as a member of the Atlanta City Council for the 2nd district. He was first elected in 2005 and re-elected without opposition in 2009. He represented the neighborhoods of Atlantic Station, Castleberry Hill, Downtown, Home Park, Inman Park, the Marietta Artery, Sweet Auburn and the Martin Luther King Historic District, Midtown, Poncey-Highland, and the Old Fourth Ward. He opted to not run for re-election in 2017, and was a candidate in the 2017 Atlanta mayoral election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Ole Lenku</span> Kenyan politician

Joseph Jama Ole Lenku is a Kenyan politician who was the second Governor of Kajiado County after winning in the Kenyan General Elections on 8 August 2017 and lost his seat in the 2022 General elections held on 8 August. Lenku was Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government from 2013 to 2014.

Peris Tobiko is a Kenyan politician. She was the first elected female Maasai member of parliament in 2013 in a National historic win even after elders had sworn to "curse" her and her supporters for defying the patriarchal norms of the Maasai community by daring to seek a seat in elected office - something they believed to be reserved only for men. She was re-elected for a second term as MP for Kajiado East Constituency in August 2017.

Big Life Foundation is non-profit conservation organization focused on preserving the wildlife and habitats of the Amboseli-Tsavo-Kilimanjaro ecosystem of East Africa through community-based and collaborative strategies.

<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">United Democratic Alliance (Kenya)</span> Political party in Kenya

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is the current ruling political party in Kenya. Their slogan is "Kazi ni Kazi" and their symbol is a wheelbarrow. The party, initially called the Party of Development and Reforms, officially changed its name to UDA in December 2020. The party became notable in January 2021, and is allied with William Ruto, the President of Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenya Kwanza</span> Coalition of political groups in Kenya

Kenya Kwanza is a Kenyan political alliance currently headed by William Ruto. The political coalition currently holds a majority in both the National Assembly and Senate of Kenya. It was formed in the period leading up to the 2022 Kenyan general election, originally consisting of three parties: the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Amani National Congress and FORD–Kenya. By 8 April 2022, several more political parties had joined the alliance, bringing the total number of constituent parties to 12. On 18 August 2022, a number of politicians from the United Democratic Movement announced they would be joining the alliance.

The 13th Parliament of Kenya was elected in the 2022 Kenyan general election.

The Democratic Action Party of DAP-K is a political party in Kenya led by Wafula Wamunyinyi.

References

  1. 1 2 Brooke Lea Foster; Cindy Rich (September 1, 2004). "A Warrior In Two Worlds". Washingtonian . Lekuton, 35
  2. 1 2 Herman Viola; Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton (2005). Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna. Random House Penguin.
  3. "Members Of The 10th Parliament". Parliament of Kenya. Archived from the original on 2008-07-01. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
  4. Macharia, Hunja (2022-08-18). "7 UDM MPs ditch Azimio to join Kenya Kwanza Alliance". KBC. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
  5. "Joseph Lekuton - Teacher - Emerging Explorer". NationalGeographic.com.