Johnson Sakaja: From Rapper to Nairobi Governor

Johnson Sakaja Arthur is the immediate former senator for Nairobi county.

Sakaja was born on February 2, 1985 and is the last born in a family of three. He lived with his family in Nairobi’s Parklands area in the then Government quarters. 

Education

The youthful politicians attended Aga Khan primary school before joining Lenana high school. 

In high school, he was the vice chairman of the law society as well as prefects’ coordinator.

After high school, he qualified to join Harvard University but he could not raise the required funds.

Instead, the super senator joined the University of Nairobi where he became the chairman of the student organization (SONU) and graduated with a degree in Actuarial Science.

Career

Sakaja’s first job was at Pricewatercoopers (PWC,) at the age of 19.

According to wikipedia, the politician lost his job a year later forcing him to work at a cybercafe owned by a relative.

It is then that he started song writing. He wrote a couple of rap songs that are yet to be produced. The 35-year-old started Arthur Johnson Consultants which is still running to date.

Politics

During the 2005 referendum, he rallied students for the then proposed constitution. 

In 2007, he was part of the Kibaki campaign team. He was the director of Vijana na Kibaki lobby group.

At the tender age of 26, Sakaja was among the people who helped in the formation of (TNA), the party that put President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto in power in 2013.

He then became the chairman of the ruling party, a role he served until TNA merged with 12 other parties to form the Jubilee Coalition in 2016. The party nominated him as a member of Parliament.

In 2017, he was elected the senator of Nairobi on a Jubilee party ticket.

In 2022, Sakaja vied for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket. He beat Azimio la Umoja’s Polycarp Igathe to become Nairobi’s fourth governor.

Family

Sakaja is married with three children; two boys and a girl.