{{Short description|Kenyan politician}} {{Use British English|date=January 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = William Kabogo Gitaū | honorific_suffix = | image = William Kabogo Gitau.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | order = | office = Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications & The Digital Economy | term_start = 17 Jan 2025 | term_end = | president = William Ruto | predecessor = Eliud Owalo | successor = | office1 = First Governor of Kiambu County | term_start1 = 27 March 2013 | term_end1 = 2017 | taoiseach1 = | predecessor1 = | successor1 = Ferdinand Waititu | order2 = | office2 = Member of the Kenyan Parliament | term_start2 = 2002 -2007 2010 | term_end2 = 2013 | president2 = | predecessor2 = | successor2 = | constituency2 = Juja | majority2 = | birth_place = Komothai village in Githunguri Constituency | birth_name = | party = Tujibebe Wakenya Party | spouse = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = University of the Punjab | occupation = Politician | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = | blank1 = | data1 = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1961|04|04}} }}
'''William Kabogo Gitaū''' is Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communications & The Digital Economy in the Republic of Kenya.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tongola |first=Mate |title=New CSs Mutahi Kagwe, William Kabogo and Lee Kinyanjui sworn in |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001509778/new-css-mutahi-kagwe-william-kabogo-and-lee-kinyanjui-sworn-in |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref> He is also party leader of Tujibebe Wakenya Party. He previously served as the First Governor of Kiambu County,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/Govt%20revokes%20345%20irregular%20land%20titles/-/1064/1068594/-/14dtmuiz/-/|title=Govt revokes 345 irregular land titles|date=8 December 2010|work=Daily Nation|accessdate=11 January 2011}}</ref> a position he won in the 2013 Kenyan general election.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kenyaweeklypost.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2062|title=Narc kenya Upsets PNU and ODM to clinch Juja Constituency seat|date=20 September 2010|work=The Kenya Weekly Post|accessdate=11 January 2011}}</ref>
Prior to becoming Governor, he served as the Member of Parliament for Juja Constituency, a seat he first secured in 2002 and then regained in the 2010 by-election after a successful court petition.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Muiruri |first1=Mwangi |title=William Kabogo: Flamboyant Kiambu billionaire and his love-hate relationship with Ruto |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/politics/william-kabogo-flamboyant-billionaire-4864884 |work=Daily Nation |date=20 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref> In that election, he defeated George Thuo of the PNU, who came in a distant second, while the previous MP, Stephen Ndichū finished in third place.<ref>{{cite news |title=William Kabogo {{!}} Kenyans.co.ke |url=https://www.kenyans.co.ke/politician/william-kabogo-0 |work=www.kenyans.co.ke}}</ref>
In 2017 Kenyan general election, William Kabogo Gitaū was defeated by Ferdinand Waititu in the Jubilee Party's gubernatorial nominations.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Maichuhie |first1=Kamau |title=Waititu fells mighty Kabogo in Jubilee primaries |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001237788/waititu-fells-mighty-kabogo-in-jubilee-primaries |work=The Standard |language=en}}</ref> Following this setback, he left the Jubilee Party and announced his intention to contest the governorship as an independent candidate. Ferdinand Waititū ultimately won the election.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wainaina |first1=Eric |title=Kiambu Governor Kabogo concedes defeat to Waititu |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/kiambu/kiambu-governor-kabogo-concedes-defeat-to-waititu-436096 |work=Daily Nation |date=29 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
==Early life and education==
William Kabogo was born on 4 April 1961, in Komothai village, Githūngūri Constituency. He attended St. George's Rūir<u>ū</u> Primary School and then continued his studies at Thika Technical School from 1975 to 1978.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thika Technical Training Institute |url=https://thikatechnical.ac.ke/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |language=en-US}}</ref> Afterward, he pursued a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Punjab University in India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Official Website of Panjab University Chandigarh ਪੰਜਾਬ ਯੂਨੀਵਰਸਿਟੀ ਚੰਡੀਗੜ੍ਹ पंजाब विश्वविद्यालय चंडीगढ़ पंजाब यूनिवर्सिटी चंडीगढ़ Chandigarh India |url=https://puchd.ac.in/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=puchd.ac.in}}</ref>
==Political career== === Juja Member of Parliament=== William Kabogo burst onto the political scene in 2002 when he sought the Kanu ticket<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-05 |title=KANU – Karibu Nyumbani |url=https://kanuparty.org/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |language=en-US}}</ref> for the Juja Parliamentary Seat, then held by incumbent Stephen Ndichū, who was running under Kanu’s presidential candidate, Uhuru Kenyatta.<ref>{{Cite web |title=x.com |url=https://x.com/4thpresidentke?lang=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241001110606/https://x.com/4thpresidentke?lang=en |archive-date=2024-10-01 |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=X (formerly Twitter)}}</ref> Although Kabogo lost that election, he quickly switched to the lesser-known Sisi Kwa Sisi party and successfully defeated Ndichū in the general elections.
However, Kabogo faced a setback in 2007 when he lost his seat to George Thuo.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-21 |title=A spiked drink, a dead MP, and why Porkies Club owner, 5 employees were convicted in murder of Juja's George Thuo |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/a-spiked-drink-a-dead-mp-and-why-porkies-club-owner-5-employees-were-convicted-in-murder-of-juja-s-george-thuo-4597998 |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Nation |language=en}}</ref> Determined to reclaim his position, he successfully petitioned the election results, leading to a by-election where he triumphed over Thuo with a landslide victory on a Narc-Kenya ticket.
==== Potential misinformation on social media platforms==== In May 2021, a false statement circulated on social media claiming that William Kabogo had conceded defeat in the parliamentary by-election for the Juja constituency. PesaCheck, East Africa’s first public fact-checking initiative, in collaboration with Code for Africa—the continent’s largest civic technology and data journalism accelerator—investigated the claim. Their analysis concluded that the statement was indeed fake.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}
=== Kiambu Governor === In 2013, Kabogo contested and won the Kiambu Gubernatorial Elections, making him the first Governor of Kiambu County. However, his fortunes changed in 2017 when he lost the governorship to Ferdinand Waititū<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ferdinand Waititu Baba Yao {{!}} Kenyans.co.ke |url=https://www.kenyans.co.ke/politician/ferdinand-waititu-baba-yao |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=www.kenyans.co.ke}}</ref> after failing to secure the crucial Jubilee Party <ref>{{Cite web |title=Jubilee |url=https://jubileeparty.ke/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=jubileeparty.ke}}</ref> ticket, which was considered essential for success in Kiambu County,<ref>{{Cite web |title=County Assembly of Kiambu |url=https://www.kiambuassembly.go.ke/ |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=County Assembly of Kiambu |language=en-gb}}</ref> the political stronghold of Uhuru Kenyatta. In hindsight, his attempt to run as an independent candidate proved to be a challenging and ultimately futile endeavor.
=== Kenyan Cabinet === On 19 December 2024, President William Ruto<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.president.go.ke/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121233335/https://www.president.go.ke/ |archive-date=2025-01-21 |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=The Official Website of the President of the Republic of Kenya |language=en-US}}</ref> nominated former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo to head the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MICDE {{!}} Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy |url=https://ict.go.ke/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241227022202/https://www.ict.go.ke/ |archive-date=2024-12-27 |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=ict.go.ke |language=en}}</ref> Kabogo appeared before the National Assembly for vetting on 14 January 2025. He was sworn in at State House Nairobi on Friday, 17 January 2025, and officially assumed office.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Byh61VZIM |title=Mutahi Kagwe, Lee Kinyanjui and William Kabogo sworn in as cabinet secretaries at State House |date=2025-01-16 |last=Citizen TV Kenya |access-date=2025-01-22 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
==Controversies== ===Drug Baron Allegations=== During the 10th Parliament of Kenya, George Saitoti presented a dossier to parliament received from US embassy naming kabogo as a kenyan based drug baron among 4 other members of parliament.<ref>{{cite news |title=Four MPs named over drugs probe |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/four-mps-named-over-drugs-probe-1301416 |work=The EastAfrican |date=9 August 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Saitoti names MPs linked to narcotics trade |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/mobile/article/2000025330/saitoti-names-mps-linked-to-narcotics-trade |work=The Standard |language=en}}</ref> Saitoti then Internal Security Minister asked the house to grant him 2 months to complete investigations into the allegations about Kabogo's links to Narcotics trade.<ref>{{cite news |last1=WANAMBISI |first1=LABAN |title=Saitoti names suspected drug barons |url=https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2010/12/saitoti-names-suspected-drug-barons/ |work=Capital News |date=22 December 2010}}</ref>
===Mercy Keino Assault=== In June 2011, Kabogo was reported to physically assault Mercy Keino during a party in Westlands. According to the Daily Nation, Kabogo slapped her severally and stepped on her joints<ref>{{cite news |last1=Maina |first1=Carol |title=Kenya: 'I Saw Kabogo Stepping On Mercy' - Witness |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/201209130196.html |date=12 September 2012}}</ref> after she annoyed Kabogo by shouting, moving around and breaking glasses during the party. Mercy was found dead the following morning along Waiyaki Way.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mbuthia |first1=Bashir |title='It was a hit-and-run accident,' Kabogo says on Mercy Keino's death |url=https://www.citizen.digital/news/it-was-a-hit-and-run-accident-kabogo-says-on-mercy-keinos-death-n355849 |work=Citizen Digital |date=14 January 2025 |language=en-KE}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Kabogo 'slapped Mercy Keino during party' |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/kabogo-slapped-mercy-keino-during-party--827826 |work=Daily Nation |date=10 September 2012 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tanui |first1=Nikko |title=We won't forgive Kabogo — Mercy Keino's parents |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000220534/we-won-t-forgive-kabogo-mercy-keino-s-parents |work=The Standard |date=21 October 2016 |language=en}}</ref>
===Land grabbing=== ====Tatu City Land Controversy==== In June 2021, Daily Nation reported Kabogo to be involved in a blackmail scheme against Tatu City investors by holding onto 5 land title deeds in order to coerce the investors into issuing him 5% stake in the development.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wasuna |first1=Brian |title=William Kabogo in Sh4.5bn Tatu City land bribery dispute |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/william-kabogo-in-sh4-5bn-tatu-city-land-bribery-dispute-3449606 |work=Daily Nation |date=25 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Kabogo has since filed two lawsuits against Tatu city and affiliated companies asserting he was granted the title deeds following an agreement to purchase additional land after he made a 10% deposit for their purchase.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wasuna |first1=Brian |title=Ex-Kiambu governor William Kabogo entangled in Sh4.5bn Tatu City land bribe row - Business Daily |url=https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/news/ex-kiambu-governor-william-kabogo-entangled-in-sh4-5bn-tatu-city-land-bribe-row-3449594 |work=www.businessdailyafrica.com |date=25 June 2021}}</ref>
====Westlands==== In January 2019, a nairobi high court ordered Kabogo to pay a private company damages of Ksh 100m for land grabbing and trespass of a 5.2 acre property in Westlands.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kiplagat |first1=Sam |title=Kabogo to pay Sh100 million for prime city plot invasion - Business Daily |url=https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/economy/kabogo-to-pay-sh100-million-for-prime-city-plot-invasion-2175588 |work=www.businessdailyafrica.com |date=1 November 2017}}</ref> According to the court, Kabogo was involved in a land grabbing scheme that saw Kabogo illegally occupy the disputed property for over 10 years using a fake title deed thereby denying the private company rightful occupation of the disputed property.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kiplagat |first1=Sam |title=Kabogo bid to reclaim city land hits a snag |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/kabogo-bid-to-reclaim-city-land-hits-a-snag-231316 |work=Daily Nation |date=28 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kiplagat |first1=Sam |title=Kabogo loses city land fight, to pay Sh100m for trespass - Business Daily |url=https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/news/kabogo-loses-city-land-fight-to-pay-sh100m-for-trespass-2273370 |work=www.businessdailyafrica.com |date=10 December 2019}}</ref>
====Runda==== In December 2017, Kabogo was reportedly accused of grabbing a runda property from his uncle. According to the daily nation,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wangui |first1=Joseph |last2=Munguti |first2=Richard |title=Trouble for CS Kabogo over Sh380m land dispute with uncle |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/politics/trouble-for-cs-kabogo-over-sh380m-land-dispute-with-uncle-4922404#story |work=Daily Nation |date=11 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref> his uncle claimed that in 2016 kabogo fraudulently dispossessed him of property and evicted him along with his siblings from the disputed property.In 2018, a court ruled in favor of kabogo on account of lack of a formal contract between him and his relatives. It was reported that kabogo's uncle used the disputed properties for collateral for loans taken from Ncba and Icdc. When his uncle defaulted on the loans Kabogo offset the outstanding loans on the disputed land then proceeded to build houses on the property and proceeded to sell the houses on the disputed property without compensating his uncle for his share on the properties.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wasuna |first1=Brian |title=Kabogo accused of grabbing Runda land |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/kabogo-accused-of-grabbing-runda-land-4089778 |work=Daily Nation |date=18 January 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gitonga |first1=Nancy |title=Blow to Kabogo as court orders fresh hearing of Runda land case |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/nairobi/article/2001511655/blow-to-kabogo-as-court-orders-fresh-hearing-of-runda-land-case |work=The Standard |date=13 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.mzalendo.com/2007/10/31/constituency-profile-juja-part-1/ Juja constituency profile] * [http://www.mzalendo.com/Members.Details.php?ID=234 William Kabogo Gitau - government profile]
{{County Governors of Kenya}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gitau, William Kabogo}} Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kiambu County Category:National Rainbow Coalition – Kenya politicians Category:Members of the National Assembly (Kenya) Category:County governors of Kenya Category:Panjab University alumni