Imagine quitting a high-flying career as a pilot to join the murky world of politics. While this sounds like a crazy gamble, some Kenyans have actually done it.
Previous general elections have seen a number of ex-pilots venture into politics, defy odds and win seats. Who are these daring individuals?
Kenyans.co.ke profiles some of the former pilots who left the cockpit for the honourable bandwagon.
Captain Ronald Karauri
The Mang'u High School alumnus dropped his mechanical engineering program at the University of Nairobi to join the 2002 pioneering cohort for the Ab Initio Pilot program at Kenya Airways.
He was successful and was a pilot for 11 years serving as a first officer for six years and a captain for five years. Karauri was once the chairman of the Kenya Airline Pilots Association.
He won the Kasarani parliamentary seat becoming the first independent candidate in Nairobi to be elected after garnering 32,406 votes followed closely by his opponent John Njoroge of the United Democratic Movement (UDA) who got 30,444 votes.
Captain Ali Roba
Ali Roba was appointed to be the Chief Pilot in 2002 where he exceptionally contributed to the overall compliance levels in the Aviation industry.
He played a major role in the restructuring of the flight operations department and enhancing the efficiency of operational control functions in Kenya's aviation industry.
He was re-elected as governor for a second and final term in 2017. However, during the August 9, 2022 polls, Ali Roba's United Democratic Movement (UDM) bagged two governor positions, 9 parliamentary seats, and at least 35 ward representatives.
Ali Roba together with Uasin Gishu's former governor Jackson Mandago are the only governor who managed to win senate positions.
Captain Ruweida Obbo
The 44-year-old left his aviation career and joined politics. She had never imagined that she would win a seat, especially in a Muslim dominated region, where women take a back seat in matters of leadership.
Ruweida was a captain for 13 years at Mombasa Air Safari, flying the Russian-made LET 410 a short-range transport aircraft.
She first ran unsuccessfully for Lamu county woman representative on The National Alliance (TNA) party of President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013.
She defied the odds by clinching the Lamu East parliamentary seat after mustering 5,498 votes in a hotly contested race that featured four candidates.
Captain Ali Korane
Ali Korane joined the Kenya Army as 2nd Lieutenant and was posted to 50 Air Cavalry battalion of the army.
He was later trained as a helicopter pilot on the MD 500 Tank Destroyer. Korane became the governor of Garissa in 2017 after defeating Nathif Jama of ODM.
However, in August 9 polls Nathif Jama beat the incumbent governor Ali Korane to win back the position he occupied between 2013 and 2017.
Jama of ODM got an endorsement from 69,342 voters while Korane of Jubilee managed 26,148 votes.
Captain Njung’e Kihu
Njung’e Kihu is a retired Kenya Air Force fighter pilot who joined the race for the Gilgil parliamentary seat on a jubilee party ticket in the run up to August 9 polls.
He was first enlisted as a flight cadet in 1979, rising through the ranks to become a brigadier and a deputy commander.
He was defeated by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party incumbent Martha Wangari.
Micheal Waikenda
Micheal Waikenda studied Airline Pilot Training at Florida Flyers Flight Academy in the US, He began his career as a pilot trainee at KQ in 2005.
Six months later he was promoted to the rank of co-pilot. He flew Boeing 737 and Boeing 767 jets across Africa and Europe spending over 3,000 flight hours.
He was appointed director of political affairs and intergovernmental affairs at the Office of the President which paved way for him to engage in politics.
He vied for the Kiambu Senatorial seat on Chama Cha Kazi but lost to UDA Karungo Thangwa.
