This archive report was first published on 17 July 2021.
On May 21st, 2021, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) nominated John Njuguna Wanjiku as its flag bearer for the Kiambaa parliamentary contest, marking the beginning of his journey to becoming a Member of Parliament.
Wanjiku, a self-proclaimed 'hustler,' described himself as someone who has worked his way up despite numerous challenges he faced while growing up. He won the by-election after garnering 21,773 votes, leaving Jubilee Party's Kariri Njama with 21,263 votes.
Wanjiku's rags-to-riches story began when he was raised by a single mother who did menial jobs to feed and educate her children. His mother passed away in 2010, leaving him to fend for himself. Before joining politics, Wanjiku did various odd jobs, including selling matumbo (animal intestines) to make ends meet.
However, Wanjiku's journey to becoming a politician has not been without controversy. In February 2021, he alleged that he had been kidnapped by people who identified themselves as police officers and were allegedly working to intimidate him into supporting Deputy President William Ruto.
