'FAKE JOMO ' DECLARES 2027 PRESIDENTIAL BID

Michael Ngige Waweru, the Nairobi activist widely known as “Fake Jomo” because of his striking resemblance to Kenya’s first president Jomo Kenyatta, has announced plans to contest the presidency in the 2027 General Election.

Ngige made the declaration in an interview with The Kenya Times, adding a new political chapter to the activism that has made him a familiar face during demonstrations in Nairobi.

His proposed agenda centres on major changes to wages, taxation and access to basic services. Among the promises he has outlined is a minimum wage of KSh2,000 per hour, reducing the tax rate from 16 per cent to eight per cent, and providing free education and medication.

The 63-year-old activist was born and raised in Jericho Estate, Nairobi. He says his interest in challenging authority goes back to his school days, when he participated in student strikes against school administrators.

His public profile, however, grew considerably after he became a regular presence at street demonstrations, particularly following the 2024 Gen Z protests.

Ngige said his participation in protests is voluntary and rejected claims that he is paid to attend demonstrations. He also added that he works with a group of six activists who help organise demonstrations and notify police before taking part.

His activism has also brought him into repeated confrontation with authorities.
In July 2026, Ngige and three other activists were arrested following the Saba Saba demonstrations over allegations that they obstructed roads in Nairobi. They were subsequently taken to court and released on bond or cash bail.

Earlier, in June, Ngige claimed that he had been arrested during demonstrations linked to fuel prices and later found himself receiving treatment at Nairobi Women's Hospital. He alleged that he had been abducted and mistreated before being left in Ngong Forest. The allegations remain claims made by Ngige.

The activist has accused police of repeatedly arresting him and initiating court cases in an attempt to frustrate his activism.

His journey into activism followed several years abroad. Ngige moved to the United States in 2012, citing political instability in Kenya, and settled in Seattle, Washington, where he worked as a food delivery driver.

His stay in the US was marked by financial difficulties, including an incident in which a church where he had been staying was destroyed by fire. He eventually returned to Kenya, where his two children live, saying the events surrounding the Gen Z demonstrations had strengthened his desire to participate in the country's political affairs.

Before turning his attention to a presidential bid, Ngige had also been involved in local politics and supported Raila Odinga during the 2022 election.

His political ambitions now come alongside a personal question that has followed him for much of his life: his biological parentage.

Ngige has repeatedly raised the possibility that Jomo Kenyatta could have been his biological father, largely because of their physical resemblance and his recollection of his mother's proximity to Mbiyu Koinange, who was both her area MP and served as Kenyatta's personal assistant.

According to Ngige, his mother rejected his questions about his father and told him that resemblance did not mean Kenyatta was his parent, moreover, she never disclosed the identity of his biological father.

Ngige acknowledges that he has no proof establishing a biological relationship with the former president but says he wants a DNA test to settle the question.

The Kenyatta family has not publicly confirmed his claim, and no DNA test establishing such a relationship has been made public.

Ngige has also recalled an alleged conversation with Raila Odinga in which he says the former opposition leader remarked on his resemblance to Jomo Kenyatta.

For now, however, it is Ngige's political declaration that places him firmly in the growing field of personalities positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 election.

Unlike established politicians with party structures and nationwide political networks, Ngige is attempting to build his campaign around his identity as a street activist and his message of economic change.

Whether that grassroots profile can translate into a nationwide presidential campaign remains to be seen, but his declaration ensures that the man popularly recognised as “Fake Jomo” will be seeking attention for more than his resemblance to Kenya's founding president as the country heads toward 2027.