Peninnah Gathoni Muchomba
AGE | 50 YEARS |
GENDER | FEMALE |
OCCUPATION | POLITICIAN |
Peninnah Gathoni Muchomba, also popularly known as Gathoni Wa Muchomba, is a Kenyan journalist, entrepreneur and politician.
Gathoni Wa Muchomba was born in 1975 in Komothai Ward, Githunguri Constituency in Kiambu County.
She joined parliament in 2017 as a Woman Representative for Kiambu county before later proceeding to the Member of Parliament seat.
As a Member of Parliament for Githunguri Constituency, Wamuchomba has served in the Kenyan parliament since 2022.
Wamuchomba previously vied for the women’s representative seat and won the post, making her the third candidate to receive over 0.9 million votes in that election behind the president, Uhuru Kenyatta, and Raila Odinga, the presidential runner-up.
Wamuchomba’s Family
She was raised in Komothai, Githunguri, in a family of four and a stepfamily of 11. She has in the past unapologetically referred to her father as an irresponsible drunkard who didn’t care for the family.
She said that his father’s behavior affected her relationship with men so badly that she vowed never to get married.
Around the time she was pursuing her Masters Degree, she got pregnant and delivered a daughter called Melissa Wanjiru in 2003.
Educational Background
Having performed exemplary well in her District in her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), she was privileged to get a sponsor who offered to cater for her enrollment at Precious Blood Secondary School in Riruta.
Gathoni later joined Makuyu Secondary School in Muranga County, where she worked as an untrained teacher.
She subsequently entered the University of Nairobi, where she obtained a degree in Bachelor of Education. Later, she graduated with a postgraduate master’s degree in communication.
While still a student at university, she got a job at Kameme FM, where she hosted an agricultural program.
Gathoni was later recruited by Inooro FM, where she hosted a popular breakfast show that ranked at the top among Kikuyu radio shows. She was popularly known as the Queen of Vernacular Radio.
In 2017, Gathoni won the Jubilee Party of Kenya primaries and was elected as Kiambu County Women Representative, becoming the third candidate with the highest number of votes after the presidential candidates
Sworn in as the Kiambu Women Representative, Gathoni attracted controversy after saying that Kenya’s parliamentarians should not have salary cuts because they need to be awarded for the work they do.
Gathoni WaMuchomba’s parliamentary representation
This attracted criticism from members of the public, all over, leading to a petition to recall her.
The motion failed since there were not enough grounds for her to be recalled according to the County Government Act.
She later apologised to Kenyans and her party leader, President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Later on, Wamuchomba caused a stir after she advocated polygamy in Central Province.
Asking men to marry more than five wives, she supported it, saying if they can maintain them, they should, so that children do not grow up fatherless. Some Kenyans supported her, while others criticised her for the remarks.
Networth
As of 2025, Gathoni’s networth is estimated as KSH 920million as she’s a businesswoman who owns media colleges, a passionate farmer and political activist.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.