When he got re-elected to the National Assembly for a second time in August 2022, Mwingi West MP Charles Ngusya Nguna's role to upend the lives of children from humble backgrounds was redefined.
In an interview with Kenyans.co.ke on Monday, November 14, the lawmaker affirmed that his journey to political graces from a humble village where he lived away from his parents for 10 years was not an easy one.
After a series of casual jobs, Nguna secured a position at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) where he worked as a records officer.
With his job description at the time, he pocketed a measly Ksh500 pay every day before transitioning to a job that later paid him Ksh25,000 per month.
"I worked at Access Kenya Group where I was earning Ksh25,000 but I had done other casual jobs with other institutions such as Kenyatta National Hospital which used to pay Ksh500 per day. I was a record officer," he revealed.
That is probably the reason why the soft-spoken lawmaker has fervently defended attempts to eliminate Constituency Development Funds (CDFs).
In his constituency alone, Nguna confirmed that hundreds of students rely on bursaries 450 of whom get their entire academic funding from the programme.
An earlier ruling by the Supreme Court declared the fund illegal prompting the lawmaker to re-evaluate his stance as well as the central role it plays in the lives of his constituents.
"People claim that they are punishing members of Parliament but that is not the case. This is my second time in Parliament, students are calling me desperately. I have sent them my salary.
"In my Constituency, students get an average bursary of Ksh11,000 per year and there are 450 who are fully sponsored. For them, getting food in their homes is hard. School infrastructure is wearing out and principals keep calling us," clarified the lawmaker.
"The Supreme Court was calculative in the ruling of CDF but there are forces fighting CDF. I'd rather they send the CDF directly to schools (instead of scrapping it)," he added.
To defend his seat in the August House, Nguna revealed that he spent Ksh16 million in the 2022 campaigns, a figure less than the Ksh25 million he had forked in 2017.
"My re-election campaign was fairly hectic because I was being fought by heavyweights. I was competing against 13 candidates by garnered more than 80 per cent of the votes," he maintained.
Early Life
Born in a remote area in Kitui County, Nguna was raised for most of his life by his grandmother after his parents who'd landed scholarships travelled to Greece.
When he got to High School, the lawmaker first develop an interest in athletics, especially track events.
Throughout his secondary school life, Nguna competed in various competitions - at times sailing past competitors to national and international levels.
In the past four years alone, alongside serving as Mwingi West MP, the lawmaker bagged a total of 16 medals during the annual EAC Inter-Parliamentary Games EALA games and is hopeful to participate in three more events - 200 meters, 4 by 400 relay and 4 by 100 relay - at the event slated to take place on November 27.
"I discovered my interest in athletics while in High School and I started participating in games. I have been very vocal on sports academies being developed in each sub-County across the country," he explained.
