| Personal Details Summary | |
|---|---|
| Name | Nerima Wako |
| Age / How old / Birthday / Date of Birth / DOB | Born in 1989. As of 2024, she is around 35 years old. |
| Wedding & Marriage / Husband / Engaged / Spouse / Partner | Married. Check the full bio for relationship details. |
| Children / No. of Kids | None |
| Ethnicity / Origin / Heritage / Race | Black |
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Is she related to Amos Wako? | The East African columnist and CEO of Siasa Place is a niece of former Attorney General Amos Wako, a Busia senator. |
Wiki Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
- Nerima Wako is a brilliant Kenyan political analyst who has been very active in supporting youth and women in politics.
- Well known for being highly ambitious & passionate about politics, Kenyan, and world affairs, Nerima has been an inspiration to many people.
Personal Life, Parents and Family Details :
- Wako’s full name is Martha Nerima Selina Wako, also known as Nerima Wako-Ojiwa.
- She was born in 1989 in Nairobi, Kenya. Her grandfather was a Cabinet minister, and her uncle is Amos Wako, the first Senator for Busia County from 2013 to 2017.
- Her family also includes her three siblings – two brothers and one sister. Nerima is the third child in the family.
- Now, Nerima is married to Billian Ojiwa, who is also into politics. She met him during a governance conference in Kenya.
Early Life and Education :
- Nerima was raised in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
- Her mother, Alice Wako, has always been a constant pillar in her life. She inspired her daughter a lot as she always pushed her to the limit and beyond.
- Nerima’s father worked in the airline industry. Thus, she got the chance to travel and learn a lot about different cultures at a young age.
- Politics has been running in her blood since childhood. She used to discuss politics with her father even before being a teenager.
- From 2002-2006, Wako attended St. Nicholas Primary School, as well as Aga Khan Academy, whereby she completed her high school studies. Both schools were in Nairobi.
- From 2006-2010, she studied at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. She earned a scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Communications and Sociology.
- In 2012, Wako was later awarded her master’s degree, specializing in Public Administration / Emergency Management from the same university.
- She was the President of the International Student’s Organization during her time at university.
Career, Job, Salary and Net Worth :
- While studying in the U.S., Nerima worked as a waitress in two restaurants. She also worked as a Television Services Student Editor at her university from August 2009 to 2010.
- From October 2010 until May 2012, Wako worked as an Assistant Residence Life Coordinator at the Department of University Housing.
- At the beginning of August 2012, she worked as a Graduate Assistant at the College of Commerce and Business Administration for five months. She also worked as a Temporary Housing Choice Voucher Specialist at “Fairfield Alabama Housing Authority” from January to March 2013.
- Another role for Nerima was a Fundraising Assistant/Content Manager at “Tinina Q. Cade Foundation” in Baltimore, Maryland. This was for a duration of four months only, starting in August 2013.
- Nerima worked for a few months in 2013 as an Operations intern at “Search for Common Ground (SFCG),” an international non-profit organization in Washington D.C. She then rejoined the organization in November 2013 until April 2016, as a Program Assistant.
- Moreover, she is the Founder of “Visionaries Aloud,” a platform for creating and producing African documentary series related to life in Africa.
- In May 2016, she became the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Siasa Place, an NGO led by youth, which engages young people from Kenya by providing education about governance, the constitution, and electoral processes, through community engagement and social media.
- Nerima volunteered at the “American Red Cross” in April 2010.
- She also joined “United Way of America” as an intern in June 2012 for six months. This is a non-profit organization supporting the community in terms of education, financial stability, and health.
Fun Facts, Height and Trivia :
- Nerima’s dream job while being a child was to become a doctor. However, when she grew up, she found that studying medicine was not her passion.
- She has “atychiphobia,” which is fear of failure.
- Her strength is that she is very organized, and her weakness is that she doesn’t take time off to relax, and sometimes she can be very impatient.
- Her role models are Martin Luther King Jr., Benazir Bhutto, and Patrice Lumumba.
- Some of her hobbies include watching movies, reading books, listening to instrumental music, and watching documentaries.
- Nerima is very close to her younger brother; she even donated her kidney to him!
- Her favorite food is Biryani.
- She is very much involved in her church, where she teaches Sunday School.
A very inspiring young kenyan
Nerima, I am particularly impressed by your charisma, knowledgeability and generally your cognitive capacity to handle matters affecting today’s world.
You are blessed Nerima.
Thanks for your bravery as a girl who would mount a war cry for her people.
Nerima,
I admire your resolve to delve into politics. I am a 72-year-old veteran journalist now residing in Tacoma Washington. I have 14 girls who are equally ambitious in life as you and I thank God for that. Some of my 14 boys are equally ambitious and pursue the professions that God had intended for them. I hope I will know you well when Raila and Karua are at the helm of Kenyan politics. Sorry, I come from Kerio valley in the Marakwet district and I had first set foot in America in 1975.
Nerima,
Good morning. I was really impressed by your candid handling of governance issues during the Deputy Presidential debate. I am a statistician/economist who is pursuing PhD in development studies. I have a specialised degree in governance statistics.