Mwangi wa Iria is the first and current governor of Murang’a County and former Vice Chairman of the Council of Governors, a position he held until January 2021.
He is an alumnus of Moi University and Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply in the UK. Iria has previously served as the Managing Director of New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC), National Sales Manager of Kenya Breweries Ltd, Managing Director of Ngano Feeds Ltd, CEO of Freshco Seeds and General Manager of the Commercial Division of Industrial Promotion Services.
The governor is also the party leader for Civic Renewal Party (CRP). In January 2020, he announced his bid for the Presidency.
Iria became the first Governor in Kenya to embrace the Buy Kenya Build Kenya Initiative (BBI) in the procurement of locally ICU manufactured beds from a youth group in Kenya.
This came after President Uhuru Kenyatta directed Health CS Mutahi Kagwe to buy 500 beds from a local youth group with a view of supporting youth in Kenya to innovate and promote local enterprise. He is also a proponent of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).