By Faith Nyambeki
She is a firebrand politician who does not change goal posts when it best suits her. Nakuru senator Susan Wakarura Kihika speaks her mind and will not cower when pushed to a corner à la Millicent Omanga. The iron lady of Nakuru is fast becoming a leader to reckon with thanks to her unwavering support of deputy president William Ruto. So who is Susan Kihika?
Age
The politician was born in 1974 in Nakuru County.
Family
She’s a daughter to the late Kihaki Kimani and his second wife Alice. Her late father, who served as the MP for Nakuru North, Laikipia West and Molo in (1974-1979), (1992-1997) and (1997-2002) respectively, cleared his daughter’s political path and it’s through his daughter that his legacy lives on. She comes from a large family with the senior Kihika having eight wives and 41 children. The widows and their children have been fighting for a stake of the wealth left behind by Kihika estimated at kes600 million. Kimani, in a letter shown before a Nakuru court to determine how his property will be divided, shared the affection he had for his daughter: “This is the girl I love the most. She did me god in America (sic),” part of the letter read.
The family is yet to settle on how the property will be shared.
Education
Susan told the Standard newspaper the value her semi-literate dad put in education: “Dad wanted us to succeed in our education. He followed our performance keenly.” The Nakuru senator started her formative education in Busara Forest View Academy in Nyahururu before joining Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls’ High School in Nyeri for her O-levels.
After secondary school, she went to the US where she studied and practiced law. She rose to become a district attorney. Susan returned to Kenya in 2012 after spending 20 years in Kenya.
Also Read: Richest People From Central Kenya
EDUCATION BACKGROUND
| FROM | TO | EDUCATION INSTITUTION | QUALIFICATION |
| 2003 | 2006 | SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY, TEXAS USA | JURIS DOCTOR LAW |
| 1996 | 2000 | UNIVERSITY OF NOTHERN TEXAS, USA | BA. POLITICAL SCIENCE GOVT. |
| 1989 | 1992 | BISHOP GATIMU NGANDU HIGH SCHOOL | K.C.S.E |
PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT/SERVICE HISTORY:
| FROM | TO | EMPLOYER | POSITION HELD |
| 2013 | 2017 | COUNTY GOVT. OF NAKURU | SPEAKER |
| 2010 | 2013 | KIHIKA LAW FIRM | ATTORNEY |
| 2006 | 2010 | DALLAS COUNTY DISTRICT .ATTORNEY | ASS. DISTRICT ATTORNEY |
Husband
The senator is married to billionaire businessman Sam Mburu with the couple having formalised their union on 7, November 2020. The traditional wedding was attended by among others the deputy president William Ruto and a host of legislators affiliated to him. The billionaire first wife Beatrice Wanjiku took him to court in a bid to have custody of their two children because his wife (Susan) “hates them”.
Her affidavit read in part:
“The children have complained to me about the applicant’s wife who hates the children, orders them away from her and violently swears at them that she never wants to see them again. When the stepmother is asked why she behaves that way, she says the children are ‘grumpy’ and call her grandy on account of her advanced age.”
It is not clear if the senator is still married to the billionaire. According to Wikipedia, Susan has two daughters, Tiffany and Ashley.
Political career
The Nakuru senator is a more refined replica of her father. She lost the Bahati Constituency parliamentary seat in 2013 but went on to elbow seven opponents to emerge the first Assembly Speaker of Nakuru County. Her well oiled campaign in 2017 saw her clinch the Nakuru senatorial seat.
In 2020, Susan was removed as the Senate chief whip and replaced by Irungu Kangata of Murang’a County.
