At just 28, Kenyan-born photojournalist Polly Irungu made headlines by joining the U.S. Vice President’s office as a photo editor in 2022. In only two years, she has swiftly advanced to become the official photo editor for Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.
With President Joe Biden withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race, Kamala Harris has secured the Democratic nomination. As a result, Irungu will be documenting the evolving story of her campaign.
Within the two years she has worked for VP Harris, she has contributed significantly to American History through her visual storytelling , inspiring the Black American community and her fellow countrymen back home.
The photojournalist draws her inspiration from her mother Jane Irungu, who is a trailblazer in her own right, working as a Special Advisor to the President at Utah State University.
Jane started her career as a high school teacher and principal in Kenya before relocating to the U.S. for graduate studies. She now holds a PhD and works as a Higher Education Administrator.
Polly through her work as a photographer began a initiative dubbed Black Women Photographers in 2020, aimed at offering relief funds to black minority photographers during the pandemic. The organization has since grown, bringing together over 2,100 women and nonbinary-identifying photographers from over 60 countries.
Photo: Courtesy
Through the platform, she and her team has pooled over $185,000 (Kshs 23.8 million) to distribute in financial grants, distributed over $60,000 (Kshs 7.7 million) worth of equipment and offered free education on all things photography to black women and nonbinary -identifying photography enthusiasts among many other achievements.
“Dedicated to providing a resource for the industry’s gatekeepers, it supports its members through promoting their work in an active database distributed to photo editors, directors, curators, and art buyers,” Irungu’s Linked In account reads.
Before to her appointment to the White House, Irungu served at the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF). She has also worked for other multinational organizations such as LinkedIn and We Transfer.
Some of her work has been featured on renowned media platforms including The New York Times, Reuters, BBC News, CNN and the Washington Post, BuzzFeed and CNN.
