Mwaura: How I overcame rejection to become first Kenyan MP with albinism

The stone the builders rejected ended up becoming the all-important cornerstone.

This biblical adage aptly sums up nominated Senator Isaac Mwaura’s life story.

Mr Mwaura fought social stigma to become the shrewd politician and disability advocate he is today and faced rejection at every turn.

His biological father disowned him when he was born and went on to divorce his mother, accusing her of immorality. He then abandoned the family.

He would later face rejection from potential employers and colleagues in Parliament.

The 38-year-old senator is the last born in a family of three. He was born in 1982 and spent most of his childhood in Kiambu district.

At age four, while he was in nursery school, he got admitted to a special boarding school because of his condition, which needed special care.

“All through my primary education, I was always among the top three. I was the best KCPE candidate in my year. I proceeded to Thika High School for the Blind and did well. I was even the school head boy, an opportunity that enhanced my leadership skills,” he tells the Nation.

He later joined Kenyatta University to pursue a degree in Special Education and later the Presbyterian University of East Africa for an advanced diploma in theology.

The beginning

Mr Mwaura started his career journey in 2006 as an intern at the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD). In January 2007, he was employed as a programmes officer for Uraia.

“My role was to coordinate civic education programmes in various districts across the country on themes such as human rights, nationhood, democracy and governance and my starting salary was Sh70,000. The job required a master’s degree holder but I beat them all in the interviews,” he says.

He later moved to Papua New Guinea as a human rights advisor in programmes development.

After returning to Kenya, he co-founded the Albinism Foundation of East Africa with Justice Mumbi Ngugi and others.

He then worked for the Africa Union of the Blind before moving to the Kenya Society for the Blind and later to the NCPWD.

“In 2013, I was nominated to Parliament to represent persons with disabilities under the ODM party, where I served for five years. In 2017, I unsuccessfully vied for the position of member of Parliament for Ruiru Constituency and was later nominated by Jubilee Party under President Uhuru Kenyatta to serve as a nominated senator representing persons with disabilities in the Senate,” he says.

The lawmaker told the Nation that he faced resistance and rejection whenever he applied for jobs.

“I was turned down despite being highly recommended, but I was focused on what I wanted to achieve. In 2008, I wrote a personal strategic plan aiming to be in Parliament by the year 2012. I made it the following year,” Mr Mwaura added.

He further revealed that when he joined politics, some people feared shaking hands with him, “thinking albinism was contagious”.

Key points

Mr Mwaura said he had to learn to be patient.

“Putting God first in all that I do has been the game-changer. He is the author of our destiny. I have learnt to be patient and that prior planning is also critical. How you relate with people too is very important. Nobody teaches you that in school. Also, a lot of self-confidence is critical in career advancement,” he says.

“Keeping on fighting even when there is evidence to the contrary. Self-acceptance, hard work, being calculative and focusing on the goal have been critical aspects of my personal growth.”

An avid reader, Mr Mwaura wakes up daily at 4am to read and reflect on the previous day’s work.

He further said award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o introduced him to her father, Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o, who influenced his political journey.

“I was also inspired by people like Nelson Mandela in whose university I studied in Port Elizabeth, Wangari Mathai whom I had a chance to meet. Hillary Clinton also inspired me a lot, to the extent that I did a mini-thesis on her life for my first master’s degree,” he says.