James Opiyo Wandayi is a Kenyan vocal politician and a member of parliament currently serving his third term as Ugunja MP. He is the current minority leader in the national assembly. He was first elected into office in 2013 and has continuously retained his seat in the subsequent general elections.
Apart from being a vocal politician, he also has his fair share of scandals and controversies. On March 13, 2016, he was suspended from attending parliament proceedings after he disrupted then-President Uhuru Kenyatta’s State of the Nation address during a joint parliament sitting.
Opiyo Wandayi Age and Birthplace
Hon Wandayi was born and raised in the rural settlement of Ugunja in Siaya County.
Opiyo Wandayi Educational Background
He completed his elementary and secondary education at Siaya before enrolling in the University of Nairobi to pursue his undergraduate degree.
Afterward, he pursued postgraduate degrees in law at Daystar University, an MBA at the United States University – Africa, and a diploma in management from the Kenya Institute of Management.
Read Otiende Amollo Bio, Age, Career, Education, Family and Net worth.
Opiyo Wandayi Career
Prior to entering the elected political arena, where Wandayi thought his true calling lay, he temporarily worked in the private sector. He was first elected in 2013 and then again in 2017 as the MP for Ugunja.
He was politically involved during his college days and for a while. After the 1997 Saba Saba (July 7) and Nane Nane (August 8) rallies in support of multi-party democracy, he was even imprisoned for five months as a suspected aggressor. He claims that he was more of an activist and doesn’t consider himself a career politician.
He has consistently been passionate about inspiring constituents to get more involved in community affairs, promoting their welfare and well-being, and assisting them in the development of their own successful personal lives.
He also owns the Opiyo Wandayi Foundation, a community-based organization that aims to empower communities through social development activities.
The Opiyo Wandayi Foundation (TOWF) has a positive mindset for the country that is based on a solid foundation of community-driven development approaches and trust.
The Foundation collaborates with organizations on a national and local level around the country through strategic and hand-picked partnerships.
Political Positions
As earlier stated, he is the current member of parliament for the Ugunja constituency from 10th March 2013 and a Member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)- the firebrand political party in the country.