Irungu Kang’ata is the current senator for Murang’a County, and the incumbent Senate Majority Chief Whip. He is a former Councillor for central ward in Murang’a town and a former member of parliament for Kiharu constituency.
Age
Irungu Kang’ata was born in Murang’a County in the year 1980.
Education
He attended Murang’a Township Primary School the now ‘Vidhu Ramji Primary School’ in the year 1986-1993. He then attended Thika high School in the year 1994-1997 and was later admitted at University of Nairobi to study Bachelor of Laws(LL.B) degree. While at the university of Nairobi in 1999, he was elected Vice Chair of Kenya Law Student Society and later he same year he was elected as the Vice Chairman of SONU(which is a central body representing University of Nairobi students). In the year 2000 he was suspended for two years for leading a strike. He however rejoined in the year 2003 after the new NARC regime granted amnesty to former suspended students. He graduated in the year 2005 and in 2006 he attended Kenya School of Law for a diploma in Law and thereafter earned a master of Laws from the University of Nairobi.
Career
He was elected as Councillor for central ward in Murang’a town in the year 2002 while still a student at the University of Nairobi. After graduating from the University of Nairobi, he worked for various advocates and was later employed as a state counsel in the Attorney Generals Chamber in the year 2009. Later, he left to establish his law firm.
In 2012, He defended a security guard ‘Rebecca Kerubo’ who was assaulted at village market shopping mall on 31 December 2011 by the then deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza.
He contested for Kiharu parliamentary seat running on a TNA ticket and won after receiving 63,148 votes. He is now the current senator for Murang’a County a position he took over from Kembi Gitura. During Jubilee primaries, he defeated Kembi Gitura by garnering 158,167 votes against Kembi’ 146,207 votes. He is also the incumbent Senate Majority Chief Whip and currently serving as the temporary speaker in the Senate.
Irungu Kang’ata is a PHD(Law) researcher at the University of Nairobi and also teaches law at Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
Irungu Kangata & Co. Advocates
Irungu Kang’ata owns a law firm, Irungu Kangata & Co. Advocates that specializes in corporate law and is located at Flamingo Towers, 4th Floor next to the British Embassy in Upperhill Nairobi.
Awards
In 2015, he was awarded by Central Kenya Forum for Peace for best management of Constituency Development Fund (CDF). He has also been in the front line to oppose the rights of the LGBT community. In 2015 he led a peaceful demonstrations in Nairobi which was aimed at deterring the then US President Barack Obama from mentioning gay rights during his visit to Kenya.
Personal Life
Irungu Kang’ata in an interview narrated that during his free time in campus, they hung out at club Monte Carlo and Hollywood for reggae as they did not have money for drinking and for entertaining women. He however dated a fifth year student who had approached him while he was in first year and had introduced her to his parents but the relationship ended when he was suspended from campus for leading students to strike.
Father
His father Joseph Kanga’ata, was born in Kahuhia, Murang’a County in the year 1938 but later moved to Murang’a town where he worked as a mechanic. He also served as a chairman of two Catholic churches in Murang’a county i.e Mumbi and Gathinja. His father however succumbed to cancer in February 2020 a year after he lost his mother who died from diabetes. Kang’ata says that his father taught him to live a simple life that is why he does not wear expensive suits nor drive expensive cars.
Wife
Kang’ata is married to Mary Wambui and together they have three children.
Wedding
Kang’ata wedded his wife in September 2018, at Gathinja Catholic Church in Kiharu Constituency, Murang’a County. The wedding solemnized their marriage of eight years and among the attendants were the President Uhuru Kenyatta and their best couple Senator Isaac Mwaura and his wife Mukami.
Networth
His current networth is not known but will be updated once the information is available.
