John Kiarie Waweru

John Kiarie Waweru (born 1978), commonly known as KJ, is a Kenyan politician, comedian, media and communications professional, and educator. He has represented Dagoretti South Constituency in Nairobi County since 2017. Before entering politics, he was a co‑founder of the satirical comedy troupe Redykyulass and had a distinguished career across journalism, advertising, public campaigns, and board governance.^[1]

Honourable John Kiarie Waweru MP
Kiarie in 2023
Member of Parliament for Dagoretti South
Incumbent
Assumed office 2017
Preceded by	Dennis Waweru
Personal details
Born	1978 (age 46–47) Nairobi, Kenya
Political party	United Democratic Alliance (formerly Jubilee; earlier ODM)
Alma mater	Kenyatta University (BEd, Fine Art); Daystar University (MA, Development Communications)
Occupation	Politician; Comedian; Media and communications professional; Educator

Early life and education

John Kiarie was born in Nairobi in 1978. He attended Kileleshwa Primary and Dagoretti High School, excelling in drama, public speaking and science. He earned a BEd in Fine Art from Kenyatta University in 2001 and taught art and drama before returning to study at Daystar University, where he received his MA in Development Communications in 2024.^[2]

Media and communications career

Hon. Kiarie began his professional journey at the Nation Media Group in 1995, serving as a correspondent and features cartoonist for the Sunday Nation and Daily Nation until 2007. His popular column, "On a HEAD ON CORRISHON With the Youth," along with his in‐depth features, earned him a reputation for thoughtful civic commentary.^[3]

While still at Nation Media Group, Kiarie entered the advertising industry. In April 2008, he joined Ogilvy & Mather (later Ogilvy Kenya) as a junior creative, quickly rising to Art Director. He then served as Associate Creative Director at McCann Erickson before moving on to become Creative Director at Scanad Group (2008–2011) and later as Creative Director, Ogilvy Africa (2008–2011). During this period, he worked on high‐impact campaigns for clients such as Kenya Power, Equity Bank Group, EABL, PSK, GSK Kenya, and Coca-Cola, and was part of the pioneering teams that "Africanised" Kenyan advertising by integrating Sheng and other local languages into major campaigns.^[4][3]

From December 2008 to September 2012, Kiarie served as a Director on the Athi Water Services Board, the regional water board overseeing 13 Water Services Companies (including Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company). He was elected Chairperson of the Strategy and Business Development Committee, guiding the board’s planning and policy‐development initiatives.^[3][5]

Between 2003 and 2008, he also served as a Director at Youth Agenda, where he helped design youth empowerment and civic‐education initiatives.^[3]

In October 2011, Kiarie co-founded Transcend Media Group, serving as Creative Director until November 2016. At Transcend, he led digital outreach and creative strategy for NGOs, public institutions (including the Communications Authority of Kenya and NYS), and corporate clients. Under his leadership, Transcend became known for youth-focused campaigns that combined strategic communication with civic engagement.^[3]

Comedy and public influence

In 1998, while at Kenyatta University, Kiarie co-founded Redykyulass with Walter Mong'are and Tony Njuguna, renowned for political impersonations and satirical commentary targeting leaders like Moi and Kibaki.^[6]

Redykyulass shaped Kenya's comedy scene—*The Standard* described them as "Kenya's most influential comedy act."^[7] They reunited for a nationwide tour in 2021 to celebrate their legacy.^[8]

Political career

Kiarie first sought the ODM nomination in Dagoretti South (2007, 2013) before joining Jubilee Party in 2016. He won the 2017 nomination with 9,792 votes and was elected MP that August.^[9]

In the 12th Parliament (2017–2022), he served on the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee as non-legal representative. In the 13th Parliament (2022–), he sits on the Procedure & House Rules and Liaison Committees.^[10][11][12]

He joined Kenya's delegations to the ACP–EU Parliamentary Assembly and the IPU, where he served two terms as President of the IPU Committee on International Humanitarian Law.^[13][14]

He is President of the World Scouts Parliamentary Union (Kenya) and Global Vice-President of the World Scout Parliamentary Union (Third Vice-President 2017–2022, now deputising President Gyu‑Back Ahn of South Korea).^[15]

Advocacy and youth engagement

Kiarie champions youth mobilisation and civic education. In November 2024, he advocated for a National Science Museum in Parliament. He also led recovery efforts for Lenana Primary after a 2019 school collapse tragedy in Dagoretti South.^[16]

Early life and education

Hon. John Kiarie Waweru was born in Nairobi in 1978 into a family that valued both creativity and resilience. He attended Kileleshwa Primary School before enrolling at Dagoretti High School. At Dagoretti High, Kiarie excelled in drama, public speaking and science, winning awards in national science congress competitions and serving as editor of the school magazine.

After secondary school, Kiarie studied at Kenyatta University, where he graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Education in Fine Art. He qualified as a teacher and served at various institutions including Materi Girls Centre and State House Girls' High School, teaching art and drama. In 2024, he earned a Master of Arts in Development Communications from Daystar University.^[17]

Political career

Kiarie first contested for Parliament under the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket in 2007 and again in 2013, but was not elected. In early 2016, he left ODM and joined President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee Party. In the 2017 Jubilee nomination for Dagoretti South Constituency, Kiarie topped the primary, defeating the incumbent Dennis Waweru with 9,792 votes to 9,052.^[9]

In 2022, Kiarie aligned with United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and successfully defended his seat, polling 26,394 votes against the Jubilee candidate's 22,773.^[18] In the 13th Parliament, he was elected Chairperson of the National Assembly's Committee on Communications, Information and Innovation and serves on the Education Committee.^[19]

Advocacy and youth engagement

Throughout his career, Kiarie has prioritised youth mobilisation and civic education. His early work with Redykyulass sought to energise young voters through satire. In Parliament, he has championed initiatives to improve STEM education, leveraging his own background as a science congress winner. In November 2024, he proposed the establishment of a National Science Museum to inspire innovation among students.^[20]

Kiarie has also focused on youth mentorship and inclusion. In February 2024, he stated that "young people lack someone to advise them" and urged more structured mentorship initiatives.^[21]