Twenty-three years after his death, the memory of Kijana Michael Wamalwa remains tied to one of Kenya’s most important political transitions, when a soft-spoken young politician who had once been dismissed as too young for Parliament rose to become the country’s Vice-President.
Wamalwa, who died on August 23, 2003, aged 58, served as Vice-President for only six months after being appointed to the position by then President-elect Mwai Kibaki in December 2002.
His time in the country’s second-highest office was brief, but his journey to State House had taken decades and was shaped by education, political struggle and the fight for change.
From ‘Kijana’ to Vice-President
Born in 1944 in Sosio village in western Kenya, Wamalwa grew into an intelligent and ambitious young man. He excelled in school, serving as head boy and becoming known as a strong debater.
His academic ability earned him a Commonwealth scholarship in 1965, taking him to King’s College, University of Cambridge, where he studied law and graduated in 1968. He later proceeded to the London School of Economics.
After returning to Kenya, Wamalwa ventured into politics and quickly drew attention for his youthful ambition.
In 1974, at the age of 30, he attempted to contest a parliamentary seat. His community, however, considered him too young to become an MP.
It was from this episode that he earned the name ‘Kijana’, meaning young man.
The late former VP Kijana Michael Wamalwa
Rather than give up, Wamalwa joined other young politicians who became known as the ‘Young Turks’. Together, they formed the Forum for Democracy Restoration (FORD) and pushed for constitutional reforms.
The eloquent but soft-spoken politician became one of the figures who helped bring opposition leaders together in their efforts to challenge the Moi government.
His political journey eventually led him to the vice-presidency when Kibaki appointed him as his deputy in December 2002, following the National Rainbow Coalition’s victory in the General Election.
A brief time in office
Wamalwa’s tenure as Vice-President lasted only six months.
He died at the Royal Free Hospital in London on August 23, 2003, after battling kidney disease. He was 58.
His death came shortly after a major moment in his personal life. In May 2003, he had married Yvonne Nambia in a lavish wedding.
Despite his short stay in government, Wamalwa remained associated with the political changes that had brought NARC to power and ended the long KANU era.
His political legacy was also linked to the ideals that had driven his generation of leaders to demand a freer and more democratic Kenya.
During a past interview with a local television station, former Defence CS Wamalwa said his elder brother was disappointed that his dream of a free Kenya had not been realised.
He argued that the corruption that he and other leaders had fought so hard against in the previous regime had been carried onto the new regime, following the Goldenberg scandal.
The late former VP Kijana Michael Wamalwa with his late wife, Yvonne Wamalwa during their wedding on May 10, 2003
Remembered beyond politics
Wamalwa’s story has also been preserved through the cultural traditions of the Baengele clan of the Bukusu community.
During a previous memorial, his family retraced his final journey in London as part of a cultural rite meant to reunite his spirit with his body and bring peace to the clan.
The ritual, known as khulotia, involved members of his family travelling to the Royal Free Hospital in London, where Wamalwa died, to bring his spirit home.
According to the Baengele clan’s belief, when a person dies in a foreign land, their spirit remains there and needs to be reunited with the body after burial.
For a man who began his political journey as a young aspirant considered too inexperienced for Parliament, Wamalwa’s rise to the vice-presidency was remarkable.
His life was cut short just months after reaching one of the highest offices in the land, but more than two decades later, the story of Kijana Wamalwa remains part of Kenya’s political history.
