Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah, EGH, MP, Leader of the Majority Party.
LEADER OF THE MAJORITY PARTY IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
The Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah, CBS, MP was elected as the Leader of the Majority Party in the 13th Parliament in September, 2022. He is the Member of Parliament for Kikuyu Constituency and a ranking Member of Parliament serving his third consecutive term.
Political Career and Key Achievements
The Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah began his political career in 2013 when he was first elected to the 11th Parliament on The National Alliance (TNA) Party ticket. In the 2017 general elections, Hon. Ichung’wah made history as the first Member of Parliament to be elected unopposed under the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
During his first term in Parliament, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah served as Vice-Chairman of the Public Investments Committee, a member of the Committee on Parliamentary Powers and Privileges and member of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Co-operatives. He was also nominated to represent Kenya for foreign policy experience and exposure in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
In the 12th Parliament, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah served as the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee until 2019. As the Chairperson of the Committee, he displayed astute and exemplary leadership as well as excellent communication skills. Passionate about the overall welfare of the citizenry he made major contributions aimed at ensuring proper utilization of resources during the budget making process. He was also a member of the Committee on Appointments and the Committee on Members Services and Facilities.
In his legislative role, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah has sponsored various bills including the Alcoholic Drinks Control (Amendment) Bill, 2014 and the National Disaster Management Authority Bill (2019). The Alcoholic Drinks Control (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was assented to by the President and is now the Alcoholic Drinks Control (Amendment) Act, (Act No. 3 of 2015). The amendment provided an additional function to the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse - NACADA, namely the provision of support and assistance in the establishment of treatment and rehabilitation programmes and educating the public on the benefits of using affordable alternatives to dangerous liquor. The Amendment Act also obliges the Cabinet Secretary for finance to implement tax policies and where appropriate grant remission of duty on alcoholic drinks that are locally manufactured so as to promote compliance of those drinks with the objectives of the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, 2010.
He has also made significant contributions to bills relating to his field of study such as the Insurance (Amendment) Bills, The Public Finance (Amendment) Bills, the annual Division of Revenue Bills and annual County Allocation of Revenue Bills.
Further, in the 12th Parliament, he also proposed amendments to the National Assembly Standing Orders to allow bills that had passed the First and Second Readings stages in the previous term of a House to be reintroduced without pre-publication scrutiny. The proposal led to the amendment of the Standing Orders and now promotes expedited processing, republication and reintroduction of Bills that lapse at the end of a Parliamentary term in the subsequent House.
Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah has been ranked by Mzalendo Watch as one of the best performing Members of Parliament for his contributions to the business of the House. He was also rated among the top 5 MPs by Infotrak for his legislative prowess and eloquence. He was also lauded for the impeccable management of public finances such as the National Government-Constituency Development Fund for development projects.
Career outside politics
Prior to joining national politics, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah had an illustrious career in the private sector having held senior management positions in several companies including Diversey Lever East Africa, Madison Insurance Company and the Standard Group.
Education
Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah is proficient economist with a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Economics & History) from the University of Nairobi. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (Kenya) and a proud alumnus of the Alliance High School.