Machel Waikenda has built a career that has taken him from the cockpit of Kenya Airways aircraft to the entertainment industry, county government, party politics, and the State House.
Recently, Governor Johnson Sakaja has nominated him for the position of Nairobi County Secretary.
Waikenda’s name was presented to the Nairobi City County Assembly on July 27, and he appeared before the vetting panel on August 20.
Early life and family
Dr Machel Thogo Karanja Waikenda was born in Kiambu County in 1981.
In an interview with The Standard, Waikenda said his mother was a district officer and that the family lived in different locations, including Taita-Taveta, Kilifi, and Kaloleni.
He completed his primary education in Nairobi, sitting his KCPE at St Mary’s School in 1995.
Later, Machel attended Kangaru High School in Embu and Makini School, where he completed his secondary education and sat his KCSE in 1999.
According to Waikenda, his father paid his university fees for only his first semester before telling him he was on his own.
To support himself while studying in the United States, Machel worked several jobs, including cleaning bathrooms at a supermarket, bagging groceries, telemarketing, tutoring, hospital administration, and selling popcorn and snacks at cinemas.
In his personal life, Waikenda is married to Rose Njeri, and the couple has a daughter named Wangari.
Machel Waikenda’s Education
Waikenda pursued his higher education in the United States, where he attended Santa Fe Community College in Florida.
At the university, Waikenda studied arts and engineering between 2000 and 2003.
He later joined the University of Florida, where he studied electrical engineering and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 2005.
In addition, he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida and, while in the US, trained as a commercial pilot.
He later pursued a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Entrepreneurship at the University of Phoenix from 2010 to 2012.
Waikenda has also pursued doctoral studies in business administration at United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), graduating in 2019.
Career as a Pilot
Before entering politics, Waikenda pursued his childhood ambition to fly, joining Kenya Airways and serving as a first officer from June 2006 to June 2009 after completing his studies abroad.
As a pilot, he held a commercial pilot license with ratings for the Boeing 737 and Boeing 767 aircraft operating across Africa and parts of Europe.
Before and during his aviation career, he was also involved in entertainment and business, eventually helping establish Blackstar Entertainment Company in 2006.
Political Career
Waikenda entered national political prominence in 2012 through The National Alliance (TNA), the party associated with former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Under TNA, he served as Acting Executive Director, Secretary of Arts and Entertainment, and later Director of Communications.
As Acting Executive Director, he helped build the party’s structures, while as Secretary of Arts and Entertainment, he worked on policy related to the creative sector. His communications role placed him at the center of the party’s public messaging during a politically significant period.
After the 2013 General Election, Waikenda moved into county administration.
He became a County Executive Committee Member in the Kiambu County Government, serving as County Executive Committee Member in charge of Youth Affairs, Sports, and Communication from 2014 to 2017.
During his tenure, he became associated with programs supporting young people, sports, and entrepreneurship through the Biashara Fund, through which the Kiambu County Government disbursed funding to youth groups, women, and persons with disabilities.
Waikenda later returned to the national government under Uhuru Kenyatta. In May 2019, he became Director of Political and Intergovernmental Affairs at State House.
In February 2022, Waikenda resigned from State House to pursue an elective position. Before the resignation, he had also been involved with Chama Cha Kazi, associated with Moses Kuria.
Waikenda confirmed his resignation on February 2, 2022, saying he intended to contest the Kiambu Senate seat in the August 2022 General Election.
Machel Waikenda in Nairobi County Government
In April 2024, Governor Johnson Sakaja nominated him for the position of Chief Officer for Economic Affairs, with the Nairobi County Assembly approving his appointment in May.
While serving in Economic Planning, he participated in county development discussions, including the dissemination forum for the Fourth Medium-Term Plan.
In August 2024, Sakaja reshuffled several senior county officials. Waikenda was moved from Economic Planning to Mobility.
Waikenda’s latest appointment journey began after a prolonged vacancy in Nairobi’s County Secretary position.
Governor Sakaja told the High Court in July 2026 that the County Assembly had rejected an earlier nominee, requiring the government to restart the selection process.
According to Sakaja, a new selection panel shortlisted 10 candidates, from whom Waikenda emerged as the preferred nominee.
The nomination followed a court directive requiring the county to initiate the process of filling the substantive County Secretary position.
Academic and Research Work
Machel Waikenda’s public career has been accompanied by academic research focusing heavily on devolution and county government performance.
In 2019, he co-authored Corporate Governance and Performance of County Governments in Kenya with Peter M. Lewa and Maina Muchara.
He also co-authored Influence of Inclusiveness of Employees on Performance of County Governments in Kenya and Functions of Regulatory Bodies on Performance of County Governments in Kenya.
Among his published commentaries is a 2018 article titled Devolution Has Transformed Kenya, published in The Star.
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