David Ole Sankok Biography, Age and Background, Education, Career, Family and Trivia

By Prudence Minayo

David Ole Sankok is a nominated Member of Parliament representing Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the National Assembly. The MP who was nominated by the ruling Jubilee Party is a former chairman of National Council of Persons with Disability (NCPWD). He has also served as/is a member/chairman of various committees including:

• Committee on Selection
• Departmental Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity.
• Departmental Committee on Labor and Social Welfare. 
• Chairman of Narok Central Business Association (NCBA)
• Chairman FINAD

Age  

He was born on 11th December 1978 in Entotol location, Narok county. He loved football and sprinting and played like any other young boy. This all changed when he got pneumonia in 1989 and was taken to hospital. An injection by the doctor completely paralyzed his right leg.

Owing to this, he faced social segregation, social isolation, stigmatisation, and ridicule, especially from the kids he used to bully around. 

Education

The former NCPWD chairman began his education at Ole Sankale Primary School before proceeding to Kericho High School. He became captain while in high school. 

In 1998, he joined the University of Nairobi to pursue a course in medicine. He said his best subject at the university was Physiology and his best lecturer Dr. Okwaro. 

In 2000, he was elected SONU chairman. His daughter Naserian was born on the day of his swearing in and comrades wanted her to be named Sonu. Dr. David Ole Sankok also served as chairman of Nairobi University Association of the disabled. 

He only lasted as SONU chairman for 7 months before being suspended. He says he fell out with the authorities over the introduction of parallel degree programs. 

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Ole Sankok said he was arrested 11 times and three assasination attempts were made on his life in Kericho,Thika road and Narok. He fled to Norway and pursued a diploma in medical research at Bergen University.

In 2002, he returned to Kenya after the new government granted amnesty to all suspended students. 

In 2005, he graduated with a BSC in Medicine (surgery) from the University of Nairobi.

Career 

From 2012-2014, he served as a director/ board member of National Government Affirmative Action Fund. 

In 2014, he became National Council of Persons with Disability chairman. 

He was also nominated to the National Assembly.

Apart from being a politician, he is a real estate developer, a farmer and director and proprietor of OSIM country lodge. 

Family 

The vocal legislator is a family man and has never shied away from openly expressing his love for his family. He married his wife at the age of 21 before he even joined university. He stated that he never dated anyone in university. He says growing up with disability meant he was looked down upon by others in the community. He met his wife who was a student at Ole Tips Girls and fell in love with her. She was well educated by Maasai standards and beautiful and it seemed she would not marry a poor disabled boy. She loved him despite his lack of money and his disability. 

The UoN alumni is a father of six, two girls and four boys. 

Two years ago, he celebrated the birthday of his then 19-year-old daughter Naserian. He told her to tread carefully and beware of devil’s agents. In 2018, he sent tongues wagging after rewarding his daughter with a car after she scored an A- in the 2017 national examinations. 

Son Death

The nominated MP son shot himself dead using his father’s gun at their Narok home. According to multiple news outlet, Sankok was having differences with his son over his academic performance.

Memusi Sankok was a student at Kericho High School.

“The father was not home when the boy shot himself and it’s not clear how to be accessed the firearm that should have been properly secured,” a senior officer told the Star.

Trivia

In November 2018, he made disparaging remarks against single mothers. He commented that women without husband’s but bear children with different men lack integrity. He said such women, in seeking nominations, in line with the proposed Gender bill, have failed the integrity test spelled out in Chapter six of the constitution. He later said:

“I apologize if I made statements that rattled anyone, especially single mothers who I respect very much.”

A while ago when The Standard published the article that highlighted his academic qualifications, a section of Kenyans said his credentials were fake. Some claimed to have known him in his university days. They said he undertook a BSC in Nursing and not Medicine and he should stop lying. 

Saudi Arabia

Recently, he has also come under fire for insinuating that women who go to Saudi Arabia for jobs are picked from Koinange street. He is currently in Saudi Arabia where he met with the country’s officials from the Ministry of Labor. 

He said the problem is that recruitment agencies pick girls from Koinange street, bars, brothels and send them to the gulf without proper training about the culture and customs of the country. He said upon returning home, he will table amendments to the labour migration laws. The laws will require immigrant workers from Kenya to have minimum morals and education qualifications. 

“We will not allow families to send drug addicts for rehabilitation to the Middle East disguised as labourers. We will not allow prostitutes from Sabina-joy to go to the Middle East with hidden agendas disguising as immigrant workers,” he said partly.