Wycliffe Wafula Wangamati is the current Governor of Bungoma county after he elbowed out former governor Kenneth Lusaka in the 2017 last general elections. Wangamati is known to be a self-disciplined man with a strict morning routine that involves waking up early to perform his morning workouts before going to the office.
Even after being declared the county’s CEO, Wangamati’s has maintained a humble profile that is centred on reaching out to the less fortunate in the society.
Education
Wangamati began his studies at Kanduyi DEB primary school then joined St Marys Kibabii (Bungoma) and Musingu high school (Kakamega) for his secondary education. He pursued a bachelors in pure mathematics in Moi University where he attained the highly coveted first class honors. With an unparalleled intelligence in mathematics, Wangamati was among the pioneer actuaries in Kenya.
Family
His father, Patrick Wangamati was a mayor in Webuye town and a critic of the Moi government, a matter that forced him into exile in Ghana. Wangamati’s mother, Selina Nasike was a nurse in Bungoma and was hailed as a woman who helped improve policies on nutrition in the then Bungoma District Hospital. Nasike passed on in February, 2021 aged 82.
The governor is married to Carol Wangamati, an educated woman from Bumula constituency. Carol studied in Loreto high school, Limuru and Kenyatta University. She is a banker who describes herself as assertive, knowledgeable and articulate.
Carol has been pivotal in improving the healthcare in Bungoma through advocating for stipends to be paid to community health workers. She has also shown interests in supporting better maternal outcomes for Bungoma women.
In his first speech as Bungoma governor, Wangamati recognized his wife as one who remained his friend and a dependable partner who took care of the children when he was campaigning.
The couple is blessed with three children and they live in Ndengelwa located in the outskirts of Bungoma town.
Investments
The governor is among the wealthiest people in Bungoma and undoubtedly savors life from the first lane. He is linked to real estate, hospitality and financial consultancy ventures.
Wangamati owns a majority of shares in Bonito properties limited which manages Bungoma Tourist Hotel. He is also linked with Milembe Microfinance Limited, a firm which operates in Nairobi and various towns in Western Kenya.
Political Career
The governor put up a spirited gubernatorial seat campaigns in 2017 with a 10- point irresistible manifesto that enabled him to win the seat with 197651 votes. He promised to increase bursary allocations, exempt mama mbogas from tax, build more dispensaries, create jobs through industry and agro-processing investments among others.
Despite winning on a Ford Kenya ticket, Wangamati is said to be currently not reading from the same page with party leader Moses Wetangula. However, the governor recently disclosed that he won’t bow out of the party in next years elections.
Wangamati is currently working on the dual carriageway from Musikoma to Kanduyi as one of the main project in his first tenure. Additionally, his efforts in increased bursary allocations cannot go unnoticed.
