Famous Kenyan Leaders

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Jomo Kenyatta

(1st President of Kenya (1964–1978) and the 1st Prime Minister of Kenya (1963–1964))

Birthdate: October 20, 1893

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Gatundu, Kenya

Died: August 22, 1978

After being held as a prisoner by the British for 9 years, anti-colonial activist Jomo Kenyatta was released shortly before Kenya achieved its independence, and became the country’s first prime minister and then its first president. The Father of the Nation, Kenyatta was also named Mzee, meaning “grand old man.”

Uhuru Kenyatta

(President of Kenya)

Birthdate: October 26, 1961

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Nairobi

The incumbent Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta is the leader of the Jubilee Party of Kenya. Son of Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta, he was dragged into a controversy after sweeping the 2017 re-elections by winning 98% of the total votes. However, a Supreme Court ruling dismissed all charges against him.

Raila Odinga

(Former Prime Minister of Kenya)

Birthdate: January 7, 1945

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Maseno

Raila Odinga is a Kenyan politician who has been the Leader of Opposition since 2013. From 2008 to 2013, Odinga served as the prime minister of Kenya. Before becoming the prime minister, Raila Odinga served as the Minister for Roads, Public Works, and Housing. At the African Union Commission in 2018, he was appointed High Representative for Infrastructure Development.

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William Ruto

(Deputy President of Kenya)

Birthdate: December 21, 1966

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Uasin Gishu County

William Ruto is a Kenyan politician and the current Kenyan deputy president. Between 6 and 8 October 2014, Ruto served as the acting president when President Uhuru Kenyatta was in the Netherlands at the International Criminal Court. Apart from being a politician, William Ruto also owns an interest in several real estate developments, including the Weston Hotel in Kenya.

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Daniel arap Moi

(Second President of Kenya)

Birthdate: September 2, 1924

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Sacho, Kenya

Died: February 4, 2020

Daniel arap Moi was a Kenyan politician best remembered for his service as the President of Kenya from 22 August 1978 to 30 December 2002. Kenya's longest-serving president, Moi was regarded by many as an authoritarian and his regime was deemed dictatorial. During his presidency, Daniel arap Moi was accused of human rights abuses by organizations like Amnesty International.

Mwai Kibaki

(Former President of Kenya)

Birthdate: November 15, 1931

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Gatuyaini

Mwai Kibaki is a Kenyan politician. From 2002 to 2013, Kibaki served as the president of Kenya. Before being elected as the third president of Kenya, Kibaki served as the vice-president of Kenya from 1978 to 1988. Apart from being a politician, Kibaki is an avid golfer and is one of the most important members of the Muthaiga Golf Club.

Tom Mboya

(One of the Founding Fathers of Republic of Kenya and First Secretary General of ‘KANU’)

Birthdate: August 15, 1930

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Kilima Mbogo, Kenya

Died: July 5, 1969

Kenyan politician Tom Mboya is counted among the founding fathers of the Republic of Kenya. A leading independence-activist, Mboya advocated for Kenya's independence from British colonial rule and led negotiations at Lancaster House Conferences. He remained influential in forming Kenya African National Union and served as its first Secretary-General. Post-independence Mboya became an MP and served as Minister of Justice.

Amina Mohamed

(Kenyan Lawyer, Diplomat, and Cabinet Secretary)

Birthdate: October 5, 1961

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Kakamega, Kenya

Amina Mohamed is a Kenyan lawyer, diplomat, and cabinet secretary. She is the current Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage. An influential political figure, Amina Mohamed previously served as the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 20 May 2013 to 5 February 2018 and then as the Cabinet Secretary for Education from 5 February 2018 to 2 March 2019.

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga

(Kenyan Political Leader Who Played a Key Role in Kenya's Struggle for Independence)

Birthdate: 1911

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Bondo, Kenya

Died: January 20, 1994

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was a Kenyan political leader who played an important role in Kenya's struggle for independence. After Kenya's independence, Oginga Odinga served as the country's first vice-president from 12 December 1964 to 14 April 1966. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga is best remembered for his autobiography Not Yet Uhuru.

Dedan Kimathi

(Kenyan Military Leader and Revolutionary)

Birthdate: October 31, 1920

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Nyeri County, Kenya

Died: February 18, 1957

Dedan Kimathi was a Kenyan military leader and revolutionary. He is best remembered as the military leader of the Mau Mau rebellion. Kimathi led the armed military resistance against the British colonial regime that occupied Kenya in the 1950s. Today, Dedan Kimathi is recognized as a national hero and is revered for his struggle against British colonial rule in Kenya.

Anne Waiguru

(Kenyan Politician and the Current Governor of Kirinyaga County)

Birthdate: April 16, 1971

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Kenya

Anne Waiguru is a Kenyan politician and the current governor of Kirinyaga County. From 15 May 2013 to 21 November 2015, she served as the Cabinet Secretary for Devolution. Anne Waiguru is credited for the establishment of Huduma Centres, public places where citizens can have easy access to governmental services.

Martha Karua

(Kenyan Politician and Women's Rights Activist)

Birthdate: September 22, 1957

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Kirinyaga District, Kenya

Martha Karua is a Kenyan politician who served as the Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs from 7 December 2005 to 6 April 2009. She also served as the Minister for Water Resources Management and Development from 3 January 2003 to 24 November 2005. Martha Karua is also a women's rights activist.

Monica Juma

(Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum of Kenya)

Birthdate: 1964 AD

Birthplace: Kenya

Monica Juma is a Kenyan diplomat and the current Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum in Kenya. An important political leader, Juma served as the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2018. She also served as the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2020 and then as the Cabinet Secretary for Defence from 2020 to 2021.

George Saitoti

(Former Vice President of Kenya)

Birthdate: August 3, 1945

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Maasailand, Kenya

Died: June 10, 2012

George Saitoti was a Kenyan politician, economist, mathematician, businessman, and development policy thinker. He is best remembered for his service as the vice-president of Kenya on two occasions; from 1989 to 1998 and again from 1999 to 2002. Saitoti also served as the Minister of Finance from 1988 to 1993 and as the Minister of Education from 2003 to 2008.

Esther Passaris

(Kenyan Politician, Entrepreneur, and Women’s Rights Activist)

Birthdate: October 20, 1964

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Mombasa, Kenya

Kenyan politician Esther Passaris has not just been a marketing and PR professional but has also been a Ms. Kenya runner-up. An active women’s rights campaigner, she is also an entrepreneur and owns Adopt a Light. An ODM party member, she also represents the Nairobi City County as its county woman representative.

Josiah Mwangi Kariuki

(Kenyan Politician Who Was a Major Figure in Jomo Kenyatta's Government)

Birthdate: March 21, 1929

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Kenya

Died: March 2, 1975

Kenyan politician Josiah Mwangi Kariuki, also known as JM, was a major figure in anti-colonial Kenyan politician Jomo Kenyatta's government. He became an MP from Nyandarua and also served as an assistant minister for Kenyatta. He was later killed, and his body burnt and thrown beside Lake Magadi Road.

Susan Kihika

(Kenyan Politician the First Female to Become the Governor of Nakuru County)

Birthdate: 1974 AD

Birthplace: Nakuru, Kenya

Susan Kihika is a Kenyan politician and lawyer. She is the current governor of Nakuru County and the first female to serve in that position. An important political figure, Susan Kihika also served as the Senator of Nakuru County from 31 August 2017 to 25 August 2022.

Gladys Boss Shollei

(Woman Representative for the Uasin Gishu County in the Kenyan National Assembly.)

Birthdate: May 27, 1974

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Kenya

Gladys Boss Shollei is a Kenyan politician who is a currently woman representative for the Uasin Gishu county in the Kenyan National Assembly. One of the most important members of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA Party), Gladys Boss Shollei is credited with sponsoring the Kenya Reparations Bill 2019.

Hezekiah Ochuka

(Kenyan Air Force Official Who Was Hanged for Planning a Coup against Daniel arap Moi)

Birthdate: July 23, 1953

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Kisumu County, Kenya

Died: July 9, 1987

A Kenya Airforce Senior Private, Hezekiah Ochuka arranged a coup against Kenyan president Daniel arap Moi. However, he could rule only for 6 hours, as he fled to Tanzania when he realized the coup was about to fail. He was later extradited to Kenya and hanged.

Joyce Laboso

(Kenyan Politician Who Served as the Second Governor of 'Bomet County')

Birthdate: November 25, 1960

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Bomet County, Kenya

Died: July 29, 2019

Kenyan politician Joyce Laboso, who had been an MP for Sotik and the Governor of Bomet County, had also been a lecturer at Egerton University. A Jubilee Party member, she was one of the first 3 female governors in Kenya. She died of cancer, after undergoing treatment in the UK and India.

Najib Balala

(Cabinet Secretary for Tourism in Kenya)

Birthdate: September 20, 1967

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Mombasa, Kenya

Najib Balala is a Kenyan political leader who is currently serving as the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism in Kenya. A prominent politician, Balala served as the Minister for Tourism from 2008 to 2012. Over the course of his political career, Najib Balala has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Elder of Golden Heart Medal and Silver Star Medal.

John Harun Mwau

(Kenyan Politician and Former Sports Shooter)

Birthdate: June 24, 1948

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Kenya

John Harun Mwau is a Kenyan politician. He served as the first director of the now-defunct Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority. The founding chairman of a political party called PICK, John took part in the 1992 general election as a Presidential Candidate. Prior to his political career, John was a competitive shooter and took part in the Olympics in 1968 and 1972.

Charity Ngilu

(Kenyan Politician & the Second Governor of Kitui)

Birthdate: January 28, 1952

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Machakos County, Kenya

Kenyan politician Charity Ngilu has served as the County Governor of Kitui. One of Kenya’s first 3 female governors, she has previously also been the country’s minister of health and minister of water and irrigation. She was named Mama Rainbow for her association with the National Rainbow Coalition.

Beatrice Elachi

(Former Speaker of the Nairobi County Assembly)

Birthdate: 1973 AD

Birthplace: Kakamega, Kenya

Beatrice Elachi is a Kenyan politician best known for her service as the Speaker of the Nairobi County Assembly from 2017 to 2020. Prior to her political career, Beatrice Elachi worked closely with the United Nations and served as a Programs Officer for UN Women.

Grace Ogot

(One of the First Members of Parliament from Kenya)

Birthdate: May 15, 1930

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Asembo, Kenya

Died: March 18, 2015

Grace Ogot was a Kenyan nurse, politician, journalist, diplomat, and author. One of the first members of parliament from Kenya, Ogot served as an assistant minister during her political career. A prolific writer, Grace Ogot was one of the first Anglophone female Kenyan authors to have her works published.

Raychelle Omamo

(Kenyan Lawyer and Politician)

Birthdate: July 6, 1962

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Bondo, Kenya

Initially a lawyer, Raychelle Omamo later stepped into Kenyan politics. She scripted history as Kenya’s first female ambassador to France and Portugal. She has also been Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Defense and is now the country’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs. She is also associated with the East African Law Society.

Sicily Kariuki

(Kenyan Politician)

Birthplace: Nyandarua County, Kenya

Sicily Kariuki had a full-fledged career in business before she joined Kenyan politics. She has previously served as the MD and CEO of the Tea Board of Kenya. She has also been Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and is now the Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation.

Sabina Wanjiru Chege

(Kenyan Politician and Former Actor and Radio Presenter)

Birthdate: 1972 AD

Birthplace: Kenya

Initially an actor with the Kenya National Theater, politician Sabina Wanjiru Chege had also been a radio presenter and has starred in the TV soap Tausi. An expert on women’s issues, she has been initiatives on breastfeeding and blood transfusion. She now serves as the woman representative for Murang'a County.

Gladys Atieno Nyasuna Wanga

(Kenyan Politician)

Birthplace: Kenya

The daughter of local councillor John Nyasuna, Kenyan politician Gladys Wanga later scripted history as the first woman from Kenya’s western region to head as a governor. While she has previously been the county woman representative of Homa Bay County, she is now the governor of the same county.

Margaret Kenyatta

(Kenyan Politician Who Served as the Mayor of Nairobi from 1970 to 1976)

Birthdate: February 16, 1928

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Nairobi, Kenya

Died: April 5, 2017

Margaret Kenyatta was a Kenyan politician who served as the Mayor of Nairobi from 1970 to 1976. An important politician, she also served as her country's Permanent Representative to the UN from 1976 to 1986. Margaret Kenyatta is also remembered as the daughter of Jomo Kenyatta, who served as Kenya's first president.

Millie Odhiambo

(Kenyan Politician and Lawyer)

Birthdate: November 1, 1966

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Homa Bay, Kenya

Millie Odhiambo is a Kenyan politician and lawyer. She has been serving as a Member of Parliament for Mbita Constituency since 15 January 2013. A controversial and outspoken politician, Millie Odhiambo is credited with founding the CRADLE Children's Foundation, which aims at improving children's rights in Kenya.

Judy Wakhungu

(Kenyan Politician and Diplomat)

Birthplace: Bungoma, Kenya

The current Kenyan ambassador to France, Judy Wakhungu has previously been a geologist and was the first woman to teach at the University of Nairobi’s geology department. She has been associated with the UNCSTD and has been the Ministry of Energy and Regional Development’s first female geologist.

Jemimah Gecaga

(Kenyan Politician and Businesswoman)

Birthdate: 1920 AD

Birthplace: Kenya

Died: 1979 AD

Jemimah Gecaga was a Kenyan politician and businesswoman. She is credited with founding Maendeleo Ya Wanawake, a women's non-governmental organization that deals with issues concerning gender equity and women's rights in Kenya. Jemimah Gecaga also served as the president of the Young Women's Christian Association in Kenya.

Farida Karoney

(Cabinet Secretary for Lands in Kenya)

Birthdate: 1969 AD

Birthplace: Kenya

Farida Karoney is a Kenyan politician and journalist. She is currently serving as the Cabinet Secretary for Lands in Kenya. Prior to her current position, Farida Karoney was the chief operating officer of a media conglomerate known as the Royal Media Services.

Muthoni Kirima

(Kenyan Freedom Fighter)

Birthdate: 1931 AD

Birthplace: Kenya

Muthoni Kirima is a Kenyan former military fighter who was part of the Dedan Kimathi-led Mau Mau Uprising during the 1950s. Muthoni was the only female fighter to have achieved the rank of field-marshal in the Mau Mau army. Apart from playing a key role as a fighter, Muthoni Kirima also nursed the injured soldiers during the war.

Margaret Kobia

(Cabinet Secretary for the Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs in Kenya)

Birthdate: 1958 AD

Birthplace: Meru County, Kenya

Margaret Kobia is a Kenyan political leader who is currently serving as the Cabinet Secretary for the Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs in Kenya. From 2012 to 2018, she served as the Kenya Public Service Commission's chairperson. Over the course of her career, Margaret Kobia has won many awards such as the Commonwealth Gordon Draper Award.

Apollo Kaggwa

(Political Leader, Intellectual, and Ethnographer)

Birthdate: 1869 AD

Birthplace: Busoga, Uganda

Died: 1927 AD

Apollo Kaggwa was a political leader and intellectual in pre-independent Uganda. He served as the prime minister of the Kingdom of Buganda until 1926 after he was appointed by King Mwanga II in 1890. From 1897 to 1914, Apollo Kaggwa served as regent while Daudi Chwa was crowned the king of the Kingdom of Buganda. Kaggwa was Buganda's first ethnographer.

Wambui Otieno

(Kenyan Freedom Fighter, Politician, Activist, and Writer)

Birthdate: June 21, 1936

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Kiambu County, Kenya

Died: August 30, 2011

Wambui Otieno was a Kenyan politician, activist, and writer. She is best remembered for her participation in the Mau Mau Uprising in Nairobi. She spied on the British and even procured arms for the soldiers. After Kenya's independence, Wambui Otieno went on to establish a political career.

Margaret Wanjiru

(Kenyan Politician Who Served as the Assistant Minister for Housing from 2010 to 2013)

Birthdate: December 22, 1961

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Nairobi, Kenya

Margaret Wanjiru is a Kenyan politician who served as the Assistant Minister for Housing from 2010 to 2013. She also serves as a Bishop at Jesus is Alive Ministries. Margaret Wanjiru is currently a member of the Jubilee Party of Kenya.

Robert Coryndon

(British Colonial Administrator Who Served as the Governor of Uganda from 1918 to 1922)

Birthdate: April 2, 1870

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: South Africa

Died: February 10, 1925

Robert Coryndon was a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Uganda from 1918 to 1922. Counted among the most influential colonial administrators of his generation, Coryndon also served as the Governor of Kenya from 1922 to 1925.