How Kenyan won civic seat in Sweden

By FELIX NJENGA

A specialised Kenyan nurse has beaten all odds to be elected a councillor in Sweden.

Daniel Mwaura Njuguna takes care of mentally sick people, but he will also represent Alby Ward residents in Botkyrka Municipality in Sweden.

And his route to political stardom in a foreign country proves his in-born leadership qualities. His interest in politics was stirred in 2006, when Kenyan women MPs held a conference in Stockholm.

He met the then Narc-Kenya Chairperson Beth Mugo and MP Alicen Chelaite, who challenged him to form the party’s branch in Sweden.

Mr Mwaura then invited Kenyans living in Sweden and launched Narc-Kenya Scandinavia branch with him as chairman.

The Kijabe Boys High School former deputy head boy in 1992 becomes the first Kenyan to be elected councillor in Sweden and the second to win a political seat in Europe. Ms Elizabeth Kang’ethe recently won a civic seat in Britain.

In 1994, Mwaura was the chairman of Organisation of African Asylum Seekers in Sweden.

Later, he became secretary of the then Kenya Human Rights group based in Sweden and headed by former Wundanyi MP Mwandawiro Mghanga.

Share with the poor

Mwaura became active in youth movement challenging racism. In the process, he joined the Swedish Social Democratic Party (SDP) and became a full member five years ago.

After school in 1993, Mwaura joined his uncle, Peter Mukuru Mukundi in Sweden (a former senior policeman) where he fled on disagreeing with the Government during the push for multi-party politics.

He joined the College of Professional Management in Britain and attained a diploma through correspondence.

Later, he realised his calling was not in management and enrolled for health studies in Sweden. The career nurse says his mother Mary-Anne Nyambura, a retired teacher living in Chania location, Kiambu County, is his role model.

His late father was also a primary school teacher and a farmer.

The father of four, Brian Koikai, Jessica Nyambura, Mike Njuguna and Jacinta Nyambura believes his fear of God has seen him through in Stockholm. He says his willingness to integrate and share with the poor in the community has endeared him to many. Mwaura also had to learn Swedish and the community’s culture, since English is hardly spoken in Sweden.

He recalls when his friend Councillor Kang’ethe won her seat in England she encouraged him to run. "She visited here with her sister Jane and they boosted my campaigns," he said last week.

Take their jobs

He beat 72 other candidates for the seat in a predominantly white community.

"The residents, especially the youth welcomed my candidature after the SDP caucus appointed me to represent this ward," he said.

In an area with some extreme racists, Mwaura’s life as a nurse and politician has not been smooth sailing. Many conservative whites believed he had come to take up their jobs. He also faced opposition from the black community who thought he had no chance of being elected.

"Now the same people call me with congratulatory messages. I thank God I did not listen to the disappointing comments," he told The Standard On Saturday.

His vision is to offer quality and non-racial leadership. He says leadership in the world got a new meaning when US President Barack Obama was elected.

"His election renewed hope and trust among all races in the world. What matters now is the vision a leader sells to the voters," he said.

Mwaura says he was in Kenya in August during the heated campaign for the new Constitution.

"I have been campaigning for dual citizenship and the fight against corruption. I am happy because with the new Constitution, change has come to my motherland," he adds.

Mwaura also urges Kenyans not to be cowed by those in power in their quest to bring order and real growth in the country.

His advice: "If I made it in Europe why not elect young Kenyans with integrity as governors and senators?"