Festus Mwangi Kiunjuri
| DATE OF BIRTH | 29 APRIL 1969 |
| GENDER | MALE |
| OCCUPATION | POLITICIAN |
Biography
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Hon. Festus Mwangi Kiunjuri is a Kenyan politician and current Member of Parliament for Laikipia East Constituency. He is also the leader of The Service Party. Kiunjuri has served in various other capacities in the past including as the Chairperson of Kenya Athi Water Services Board in 2015 and as an Assistant Minister for ten years (2002-2013) in the President Mwai Kibaki government in the Ministry of Water and Irrigation for three years, Ministry of Energy for five years and the Ministry of Public Works for two years.
Education History & Work
Festus Mwangi was born on 29 April 1969 and brought up in the Kahurura Forest section of Mt Kenya region in Kieni, Nyeri County. He is the 11th child in a family of 12. He attended Kahura Primary School and later joined Dr Kiano Boys School and Kangema High School for his secondary education respectively.
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In his school life, Mwangi was known for his hard-working spirit since he was determined to make a difference in his life.
Kiunjuri studied for a Bachelor of Education degree at Moi University and graduated in 1994. He also holds a Global Master in Business Administration (GMBA) from USIU. He had a stint of three years studying law at the University of Nairobi but later dropped out to pursue GMBA.
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As a university student, he ventured into the clothes and vegetables business. He sourced the vegetables from Kinangop, where they were cheap and abundant, and sold them in Githurai in Nairobi through which he funded his education.
After university, he bought an old lorry and ventured into the transport business in Nanyuki Town and worked as both owner and tout.
He operated from the Nanyuki main bus terminus where he spent most of his free time discussing politics with the locals. It was from here that he started building the idea of plunging into national politics.
Mwangi Kiunjuri Political Career
Kiunjuri’s political career kicked off in 1997. At this point, his opponents had more financial muscle than him thus he was forced to sell off his lorry to raise the Ksh. 50,000 to secure his nomination and as well as acquire funds for his campaigns.
Moreover, Mwangi was favoured when the people of Laikipia East Constituency elected him to Parliament on a Democratic Party ticket. At this time he was 28 years old.
Mwangi was reelected to parliament in 2002 and 2007 and by this time he was a distinguished political heavyweight in Mt. Kenya Region. Though underestimated at the start he ended up becoming a political force reckoned in Central Kenya.
He was the chairman of the Grand National Union (GNU), the Organizing Secretary of the Democratic Youth Congress and Chairman of the Democratic Youth Initiative. He also served as Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary Investment Committee during his first term in office.
In 2023 Kiunjuri vied for the Laikipia Governor’s seat on a Grand National Union Party ticket which he unfortunately lost to Joshua Irungu, the National Alliance (TNA) candidate.
Mwangi Kiunjuri as Cabinet Secretary
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed him Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning replacing Anne Waiguru, who had headed the ministry since 2013.
Additionally, after Uhuru’s reelection in 2017, he was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation. Mwangi was fired from the position on 14 January by President Uhuru and replaced by Peter Munya with allegations of paying maize cartels at the expense of farmers.
Furthermore, Kiunjuri called a press conference to address the issue and cited that he was expecting to be sacked. He further claimed that he was undergoing humiliation and was walking on hot calls while in the office.
Notably, Kiunjuri also worked in the Ministry of Water and Irrigation but faced a quick unprecedented end after involving in a public spat against his boss Charity Ngilu, whom he accused of corruption. The then president Mwai Kibaki fired him and replaced him with Ferdinand Waititu.
Mwangi Kiunjuri Marriage and Familly
Mwangi Kiunjuri is married to Wangui Kimathi and together they have sired two children, a boy named after the CS and a daughter called Wahu.
He wedded Wangui Kimathi in Nanyuki. Former President Daniel Moi donated one of the 10 bulls slaughtered during the wedding. In addition, Former, President Mwai Kibaki welcomed the young Kiunjuri to Wazee’s club.
Mwangi Kiunjuri’s Net Worth
As of December 2015, Mwangi Kiunjuri estimated his net worth to be Ksh 800 million, which he reported to have accrued from land and buildings in Nanyuki, Sagana and Nairobi.
Mwangi Kiunjuri, a former tout and teacher, led the pack at that time as he appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments.
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