Roots Party presidential candidate, George Luchiri Wajackoyah, was one of the earliest presidential hopefuls to name a running mate. His choice came as a shocker to many when he named Kenyan businesswoman turned politician, Justina Wamae, to deputise him.
Wamae is among three female presidential running mates chosen by their parties.
Others are Martha Karua of Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition party and Ruth Mucheru Mutua of Agano Party.
At the age of 35 years, Wamae is the youngest candidate picked for the country's second most powerful position. However, little is known about her political journey.
Born and raised in Kibera slums in Nairobi, she attended Kilimani in Westlands primary schools before joining Limuru Girls High School.
After High School, she joined Daystar University where she studied for a Bachelors of Commerce degree in Management and Information Systems. She was a member of the transport committee at the university before graduating in 2010.
After attaining her degree, she travelled to the United Kingdom where she studied a diploma in Purchasing and Supply at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supplies and graduated in 2012.
After attaining her diploma, she joined the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology for a Master’s degree in Procurement and Logistics. She joined active politics in 2017 when she became the chairperson of the Warembo Na Uhuru lobby group to help mobilise voters for President Uhuru Kenyatta.
In 2017, she failed to clinch the Jubilee Party ticket in the nominations when she wanted to contest for the Mavoko Parliamentary seat. She, however, contested as an independent candidate but lost to Wiper's Patrick Makau after garnering 1,200 votes.
Before being appointed the Roots Party presidential running mate, she was serving as a client service manager at Datum Dredgers in Kenya.
The interesting journey of her political life is how she became Wajackoyah’s running mate in the 2022 State House race. In a past interview, prior to her unveiling on May 5, she stated that she had never met Wajackoyah before that time.
Wamae says that her curriculum vitae and experience made him consider her for the running mate position. In 2017, she applied to become a Principal Secretary after the elections which she did not get.
When she sent her application for the Roots Party's running mate position, one of the panellists asked her whether she was married so that the party would be assured of her husband's vote.
During the interview, she was asked if she was married so that the Roots party can be assured of her husband's vote. The panel - which was being chaired by a retired judge - sought a married person to help increase the number of votes for the party.
The Wajackoyah and Wamae pair has attracted the attention of many young Kenyans who have been excited by his controversial manifesto.
