The Leader of the Majority in the National Assembly Anthony Kimani Ichung’wah was born in Gikambura Village, Karai Ward, Kikuyu Constituency, Kiambu County 46 years ago.
He is the second last born and last born son in a family with 12. His father was a businessman running a butchery.
He was educated at Kikuyu Model Nursery School, then Kikuyu Township Primary then Alliance High School.
Later, he pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and History at the University of Nairobi (UoN) from 1996 to 2000.
In the two-year gap between Alliance High School and UoN, he took Certified Public Accountant (CPA) level 1 at the Kenya College of Accountants (KCA) which was based in Westlands then. He then moved to Strathmore College school of accounting for CPA levels 2 to 6.
Ichung’wah also holds a diploma in banking.
Career
In an interview with Nation in October 2020, the budding politician revealed that he worked in his brother’s business in Nairobi. “I joined my brother in Nyamakima down in town on Duruma Road. We had a small shop there and I got into business selling mali mali…Eventually, my brother and his two Ugandan friends set up a small business selling safety shoes.”
Later, Ichung’wah joined a Unilever subsidiary, Diverseylever East Africa Limited, in 2001 as a cash and bank accountant. This was after finding the job in a Daily Nation advertisement. The role was based in Kangemi where he worked to March 2003.
He left to start a butchery business in Kikuyu on February 14, 2003. He continued to operate the business even after he got a second job.
He joined Madison Insurance, Nairobi from 2003 to 2006.
Ichung’wah later switched employers and moved to the Standard Group with an office at I&M Building within the Nairobi Central Business District. He worked at the Late President Daniel Moi-owned business from 2006 to 2008.
According to Parliament’s website, he still works at Safexafrica Limited.
Fun Fact: He aimed to be a lawyer but ended up as an accountant and businessman before joining politics.
Politics
In March 2013, Kimani Ichung’wah became the Member of Parliament for Kikuyu constituency.
He first ran on a The National Alliance (TNA) party ticket.
According to Parliament’s website, he was the Vice-Chairman of the Public Investments Committee, a member of the Committee of Powers and Privileges, and a member of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, and Co-operatives.
In his first term in the National Assembly, he sponsored The Alcoholic Drinks Control (Amendment) Bill, of 2014.
Second term
In 2017, he was re-elected on a Jubilee Party (JP) ticket.
He was in the Budget and Appropriations Committee. During the Jubilee Party purge in July 2020, he was moved to the Member Services Committee.
After the Handshake between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, differences emerged in the Jubilee Party with one team coalescing around the former President while others teamed up with former Deputy President William Ruto.
He was one of Ruto's point men in the Mt. Kenya region. His support for Ruto led to his removal from the Budget and Appropriations Committee as Uhuru eliminated perceived rebels from house leadership posts.
2022 Elections
In 2022, he was elected for a third time on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket.
He is currently the leader of the majority in the National Assembly. This means he leads government business in Parliament.
On March 29, 2023, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua described him as the second highest-ranking politician from the Mount Kenya region after him.
