Githunguri Member of Parliament Gathoni Wamuchomba, has made a name for herself as a leader who listens to her people and is unafraid to speak her mind.
This trait was visible during the 2024 Finance Bill debate when she voted against it, yet her party and coalition had whipped members to support it.
Before entering politics, Wamuchomba was a radio presenter who worked for Inooro and Kameme FM. There, she built a huge following, which propelled her into politics.
Speaking on Dun Wainaina's YouTube channel, Wamuchomba opened up on her radio career, noting that she raffled feathers of the country's who's who.
Wamuchomba narrated an incident where the late former Embakasi MP David Mwenje stormed into the studio and allegedly pulled a gun on her for a comment she made while on air.
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According to Wamuchomba, the late Mwenje stomped into the radio station’s studio and told her he had come to kill her.
“Mheshimiwa Mwenje was my friend, but it got to a place where he drew a gun on me. He told me we. I have come to kill you. He came with a hidden gun. Mwenje was driving a car with four guns—an old Range Rover whose interior was never cleaned.
"Mwenje came with his chaos and asked me, “What did you say?” And put his gun on top of my table. I was so shocked," she said in Kikuyu.
Media reports indicate that the altercation resulted from Wamuchomba's remarks, in which she accused the MP of dropping out of school.
Following the incident, Wamuchomba said she learned and appreciated the importance of weighing her words while on air since they immensely impact the audience.
Mwenje was a controversial figure in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1989, he brought a no-confidence motion against Vice-President Josephat Karanja, prompting the latter to resign in May 1989, just a year after his appointment.
Following Karanja's resignation, Mwenje was appointed an assistant minister for Supplies and Marketing.
Mwenje was in active politics until 2007 when he lost his Embakasi seat to the late Melitus Were.
Mwenje died in March 2008 after being battling illness at Nariobi’s Aga Khan Hospital.
