Quick Facts
Biography
Joshua Wakahora Irungu (born 2 February 1970) is a Kenyan politician and Community development specialist. He was elected the inaugural governor of the County of Laikipia in Kenya's general Elections of 2013, representing the Jubilee Coalition party TNA
Education
Joshua Irungu holds a master's degree in Agriculture and Rural Development in addition to a bachelor's degree in Resource Management from Egerton University.
Career
Up until the year 2000, Joshua Irungu was a civil servant in Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture. He was in charge of Agriculture and Livestock Development officers in charge of Laikipia West and Nyahururu divisions of what was then Laikipia District. He resigned from government and joined USAID, for whom he was in charge of the International Small Group and Tree planting programme(ISGTPP).
2013 General Elections
Joshua Irungu, and his running mate Josephat Kabugi Gitonga won the 2013 Gubernatorial election in Laikipia County by a landslide, having secured the nomination of the National Alliance party earlier in the year.
| Candidate | Running Mate | Coalition | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irungu, Joshua Wakahora | Kabugi, Josphat Gitonga | TNA | 21,561 (57.4%) | |
| Kamau, Richard Mburu | Shuel, Joseph Njalis | AP | 1,883 (5.0%) | |
| Kiunjiri, Festus Mwangi | Gichuhi, David Maina | GNU | 10,889 (29.0%) | |
| Muriithi, Ndiritu | Putunoi, Jane Tingis | UDFP | 3,257 (8.7%) |
Governorship Tenure
Joshua Irungu's tenure as governor ran into controversy due to his association with a move by Kenyan politicians calling for the evicting of white settlers from the country. He was said to have demended the departure of settlers of British origin from Laikipia County for 'failure to support deferral of cases facing President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto at the international Criminal Court' a statement for which he later apologized
Family
Joshua Irungu is married to Grace Wakahora and a father of three sons and a daughter.