The Kenyan political scene has had various effects on different politicians and some had to go extreme miles to either please or endear themselves with their staunch supporters.
A few politicians had to formally change their names to reflect what their most ardent fans preferred to call them as some had to pick up nicknames or aliases according to the Daily Nation and research carried by Kenyans.co.ke.
In Murang'a, before the 2013 gubernatorial elections, a little known Francis Mwangi was at a crossroads on whether to use his official name or his nickname, Mwangi wa Iria. The politician had risen to fame during his tenure at Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) and was nicknamed Iria, a Kikuyu word for milk. He was thus called Mwangi wa Iria (Mwangi the Milkman).
Iria was facing an opponent, one Dr. Moses Mwangi, with whom they shared the surname Mwangi. Iria went on to swiftly switch his name from Francis Mwangi to Mwangi wa Iria garnering 335,280 votes against 43,103 votes for Dr Mwangi and became the second Murang'a governor.
In the same year, a Senate aspirant, Paul Kimani, was facing a huge task of flooring Tycoon Stanley Munga Githunguri. Despite running on The National Alliance (TNA) party, Kimani's support from his fanbase was wavering as they were not familiar with his name.
Kimani had to resort to adopting his nickname Wamatangi (literally the man of water tanks), a name coined out of his support for women when he helped may of them acquire water storage tanks.
He went on to be called Kimani Wamatangi. He garnered 566,593 to clinch the seat beating the billionaire hands down.
Among the most notable politicians in this list are Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu and his Nairobi counterpart, Mike Sonko.
Ferdinand Waititu first changed his name to Ferdinand Clifford Ndung’u Waititu before vying for Nairobi gubernatorial elections 2013. He, however, lost to Evans Kidero.
In 2017, when he switched to Kiambu, he adopted the name Baba Yao, a name that was familiar with his fanbase. He thus went on to be called Ferdinand Clifford Ndung’u Waititu Baba Yao, a move that played a role in his 2017 gubernatorial victory.
"I had to change to win. My fans were familiar with the name Baba Yao and I realised that they would not have voted for me had the nickname missed out on the ballot," Waititu told Kenyans.co.ke on phone.
Mike Sonko previously know as Mbuvi Gideon Kioko, added the name Mike Sonko to be known as Mbuvi Gideon Kioko Mike Sonko before the 2013 Senatorial elections.
Kieni MP Kanini Kega at a past Milele FM interview revealed that he ceased using his real name James Mathenge Ndungu after it cost him the parliamentary seat twice, before his ultimate win in 2013.
Godfrey Kariuki Mwangi popularly known as Kabando Wa Kabando also picked his nickname as an official name after the 2002 general elections.
He started referring to himself as GKM Kabando in high school in and would, later on, be called Kabando wa Kabando after he joined the University of Nairobi in 1990 as an undergraduate student pursuing Bachelors of Arts in Political science.
