William Kabogo: Trained Accountant and Kiambu’s First Governor

William Gitau Kabogo is a Kenyan politician born on April 4, 1961 in Komothai village in Githunguri.

Family

He is married to Philomena Kabogo with whom he shares two children.

They are; Alvin and Andrew Kabogo.

Education

Kabogo attended St George’s Ruiru Primary School from 1966 to 1974.

He then went to Thika Technical School between 1975 and 1978 before joining Punjab University, India, for a bachelor of commerce degree.

Career

He returned to Kenya in 1982 when he landed a job at the Auditor General’s office.

Later, he worked as an accountant with an international NGO.

He left the job to venture into business in the coastal city of Mombasa. He got into the transport, real estate and clearing and forwarding businesses.

Politics

Kabogo made his political debut in 2002 when he ran on the Kanu ticket for the Juja Parliamentary Seat and lost to the incumbent Stephen Ndichu.

At the time, Kanu was supporting Uhuru Kenyatta for president.

He switched to the obscure Sisi Kwa Sisi party and went on to defeat Ndichu in the general elections.

When George Thuo won the seat in 2007, Kabogo lost his attempt to retain it. When the by-election was called, he won with a landslide victory on a Narc-Kenya ticket, burying his political foe. He had successfully petitioned for the election of Thuo.

Kabogo ran in and won the 2013 gubernatorial elections to become the first Kiambu governor.

But in 2017, he was defeated by Ferdinand Waititu after losing in the Jubilee party primaries.

Winning the ticket was then thought to be essential for candidates’ success, especially in Uhuru Kenyatta’s home turf.

He opted to run as an independent candidate but lost to Waititu who was later impeached over graft allegations.

Kabogo sought to serve the Kiambu people as governor, again, in the 2022 polls.

He vied on a Tujibebe Wakenya Party which he founded in 2021. He lost to then Kiambu senator, Kimani Wamatangi.