Maina Kamanda: Veteran politician resurfaces in Wamunyoro photos with Gachagua

Veteran politician Maina Kamanda has resurfaced after a long break from the public political scene, sparking speculation about his next move.

In recently shared photos on the official social media platforms of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Kamanda appeared alongside Gachagua, Martha Karua, and Pastor Dorcas at Wamunyoro.

“Welcome to our Wamunyoro Residence, my sister, Hon. Martha Wangari Karua. We forge ahead for a great Kenya together,” Gachagua captioned the post.

The images quickly drew public interest, with netizens flooding the comment section.

Allano Alandy wrote, "Maina Kamanda is back back!"

Jeff Mwenda added, “Wee adi Maina Kamanda? Amini mlima ilienda kabisa.”

Kamanda, once a key ally of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, was a vocal proponent of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) and later threw his support behind Raila Odinga following the 2018 handshake.

Though he’s been publicly quiet in recent years, Kamanda is far from a newcomer in Kenyan politics.

He launched his political career in 1979 as the Ngara Ward councillor and later served as the Nairobi KANU branch secretary between 1988 and 1992.

In 1997, Kamanda was elected MP for Starehe Constituency under the Democratic Party, retaining the seat in 2002 via the NARC ticket.

He went on to serve in various ministerial roles, including as Minister for Gender, Sports, Culture, and Social Services.

He lost his seat in 2007 to Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, but a 2010 by-election reaffirmed Wanjiru's victory. Kamanda returned to Parliament in 2013 under The National Alliance (TNA), part of the Jubilee Coalition.

However, he lost the Jubilee nomination in 2017 to musician Charles Njagua, also known as Jaguar.

He was later nominated to the National Assembly by Jubilee to represent special interests from 2017 to 2022.

Kamanda once sparked controversy after blaming Uhuru Kenyatta for Azimio's loss in the elections. 

“We were unable to achieve our goal because we had a leader who never listens. Uhuru is unreachable, so he lacks counsel from elders, and that is where things went wrong for Azimio," he said, adding, "Take your retirement like former presidents Kibaki and Moi. Stop saying that Raila is your leader. There is only one leader in Kenya and we are all under him."

His latest political move now signals a possible return to the murky waters of politics, at a time when the country is witnessing realignments ahead of the 2027 polls.