Being the national chairperson for persons with disabilities at the Jubilee Party, Wanja is among the few women in Kenya to hold a leadership position in a political party.
A holder of an undergraduate degree in International Business Administration (Finance & Marketing) from the United States International University (USIU), she joined politics at 26.
Currently, Wanja is enrolled at the University of Nairobi for a Master’s in Gender and Development Studies.
She actively campaigned for her party in the 2017 General Election, earning her a nomination to the County Assembly of Murang’a to represent persons with disabilities. But she did not get elected.
"For any woman to grow, they have to be fearless, confident and unafraid of making mistakes."
She says the experience was a turning point. It informed her relentless advocacy for intentional inclusion and support for people with disabilities in elective politics. Her efforts paid off when, in 2022, her party appointed her to the position.“I was able to mobilise more than 200 aspirants with disabilities. I’m glad two were finally nominated to respective county assemblies.”
Her organisation in Nairobi has left a mark. In 2020 Wanja started an NGO, Hummingbird Grassroots Centre.
It focuses on civic education for women with disabilities in low-income and rural areas. She says for any woman to grow, they have to be fearless, confident and unafraid of making mistakes.
– By Moraa Obiria
