Koigi Wamwere

Koigi wa Wamwere (born 18 December 1949 in Rugongo, Nakuru District) is a Kenyan politician, human rights activist, journalist and writer. Koigi became famous for opposing both the Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi regimes, both of which sent him to detention.

Koigi's father, Wamwere, hailed from Kiambu District. However, in 1915, the British colonial government declared that all land in Kenya belong to the settlers. As a result, several Kikuyu people had their land taken away. Koigi's father (then aged 4) and his family were among the evicted and had to move to Rift Valley Province, an area traditionally inhabited by Maasai people. Koigi's mother Wangu, escaped a forced marriage and ended up in Rift Valley, only to be forcefully married with his father. They had nine children, Koigi being the oldest. Koigi's father worked for the colonial forest department.

Koigi was born in 1949 in Rugongo location, Bahati division, Nakuru District, Rift Valley Province. He went to Rugongo Primary School Koigi Wamwere went to Mother of Apostles seminary and later Nyeri High School. Wamwere excelled in school and received a scholarship to Cornell University in the United States in the early 70s and while there he got interested in politics.

Without finishing studies in Hotel Management at Cornell University, Wamwere went back to Kenya. He began lecturing at the Jogoo Commercial College and also was a freelance journalist for the now defunct newspaper Sunday Post.

He stood for the Nakuru North Constituency (now Subukia Constituency) parliamentary seat in 1974, representing KANU, the only legal political party then. The young Wamwere was defeated by seasoned Kihika Kimani, though only by 800 votes. He wrote an article critical about Jomo Kenyatta on Sunday Post newspaper and was subsequently detained in 1975 and held in prison for three years. In December 1978, after Kenyatta had died, the new president Moi released Wamwere together with Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Martin Shikuku.

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