A political survivor who is never far from power and whatever position he takes he is sure to draw attention to himself. He has been in the political space for ages, ever since the reign of the late Daniel Arap Moi. The nominated MP is allied to the Jubilee party and a vocal supporter of party leader and president of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta. He also emerged as the face of the Kikuyu nation supporting Raila Odinga since the 9th March 2018 historic handshake with Uhuru Kenyatta.
Maina Kamanda is among politicians who contracted Covid-19 in 2021.
“I contracted it (Covid-19) while on the campaign trail during the recent by-elections in Naivasha,” he said.
“It was around the same time that Baba (Raila Odinga) announced he had it. I was admitted to the hospital and it was not only me. Very many politicians have been unwell and on treatment but it appears some do not want to publicly talk about it. This thing is not a joke,” he said after his recovery.
Age
The politician was born in 1951.
Education
He attended Kagaa Primary school between 1964 to 1970. He joined City High school for his o-levels between 1971 to 1974. Kamanda later joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) for a certificate course (2011-2012) then a BA in Management at the same institution.
Career Summary
The nominated MP started his career in Nairobi working as an assistant manager at Stag’s Head hotel and managing Hillcrest Hotel.
He joined politics in 1979 when he was elected Ngara ward councillor, a position he held till 1997.
From 1998 to 1992, he served as Nairobi KANU branch secretary.
In 1997, he was elected Starehe MP succeeding Stephen Mwangi.
2003 to 2007: Member of Parliament for Starehe constituency after winning it via the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) party.
2006 to 2007: Minister for Gender and Children Affairs.
In 2007, he lost his seat to Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, who was then a member of the Orange Democratic Movement. A recount revealed he had won and a by-election was held. Bishop Wanjiru went on to win the by elections in September 2010.
2013 to 2017: Member of Parliament for Starehe constituency after winning it under The National Alliance (TNA) party.
In 2017, he vied for the Starehe parliamentary seat once again but lost to musician cum politician Jaguar (Charles Njagua).
After losing the seat, he was nominated to the National Assembly by the Jubilee party.
Employment/Service History:
| From | To | Employer/Institution | Position Held |
| 2017 | To date | Kenya National Assembly | Member of Parliament, Nominated (Special Interest) |
| 2013 | 2017 | Kenya National Assembly | Member of Parliament, Starehe Constituency |
| 2005 | 2007 | Ministry of Gender, Sports, Culture & Social Services | Cabinet Minister |
| 2004 | 2005 | Ministry of Local Government | Assistant Minister |
| 2002 | 2007 | Kenya National Assembly | Member of Parliament, Starehe Constituency |
| 1997 | 2002 | Kenya National Assembly | Member of Parliament, Starehe Constituency |
| 1992 | 1997 | Nairobi City Council | Councilor, Ngara Ward |
| 1979 | Nairobi City Council |
Personal Life
Maina has a son named Michael Kamanda.
Trivia
In 2000, Kamanda was charged with treason after he allegedly called for the shooting of the then president Daniel Arap Moi after some KANU hawks demanded a constitutional change to allow Moi to vie for a third term after the expiry of his term in 2000.
In an article published by major publications four years ago, it was alleged that Maina Kamanda forged his papers , and glaring grammatical errors were noticeable. Prior to this, in October 2013,, Kamanda was investigated for providing forged documents with his nomination papers. An investigation provided by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation upon the request of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko was opened after members of Amani Kariakor-Pangani group lodged a complaint. He was accused of forging his O-Level certificate, said to be issued by the East African Education Council in 1974 yet he never went past primary school education. He did not respond to the claims and went on to win the elections in 2013 but a few months to the 2017 general elections, someone leaked documents which implied his documents were forged.
