DNK International By Our Our Correspondent,Kaimosi
Former Vihiga Senator George Munyasa Khaniri is once again positioning himself at the centre of Vihiga County politics as he seeks another shot at the governorship in the 2027 General Election.
He is expected to face a field that includes ODM’s current Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi who is also one of the leading Linda Mwananchi brigade.
Others who have expressed interest to vie for the seat is Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba,former KESSHA chairman and veteran school Principal Kahi Indimuli and Vihiga woman representative Beatrice Adagala.
Khaniri was born on July 1, 1972 and has spent three decades in elective politics.
His political career began in dramatic circumstances in 1996 following the death of his father, the late Nicodemus Khaniri, who had been the MP for Hamisi.
At the time, George Khaniri was a university student in the United States.
According to his own account that he revealed to Daily News Kenya-International, former President Daniel arap Moi personally encouraged him to return home and contest the Hamisi seat in a by-election on a KANU ticket.
He was at the time only about 23–24 years old.
He was subsequently elected Hamisi MP in 1996 and served continuously until 2013.
Khaniri had begun his higher education at Jersey City State University in New Jersey, where he studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.
He deferred the programme after his father’s death and his entry into politics.
He later enrolled at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, where he graduated with a degree in Political Science in 2012.
He also enrolled for a Master’s degree in International Relations at the University of Nairobi in 2014.
His formal professional experience has largely been intertwined with politics and public service.
He served as Hamisi MP for four terms between 1996 and 2013 before becoming the first elected Senator for Vihiga under the 2010 Constitution in 2013.
He successfully defended the Senate seat in 2017, serving two terms before making his unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2022.
During his parliamentary career, Khaniri held several assistant ministerial positions under Presidents Moi and Mwai Kibaki (both deceased).
Under Moi, he served as Assistant Minister for Public Works and Housing from 1998 to 1999 before moving to Agriculture and Rural Development, where he served from 1999 to 2002.
After the 2002 elections and the change of government, he served under President Kibaki as Assistant Minister for Agriculture in 2003–2004 before being transferred to Tourism and Wildlife, where he served from 2004 to 2005.
He was later appointed Assistant Minister for Information and Communication in 2008.
Khaniri has often pointed to his record in Hamisi as one of the foundations of his political longevity.
He has said that, before the introduction of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), MPs depended largely on personal fundraising and contributions from political leaders to finance local projects.
He has credited his supporters and political allies with helping him construct schools, roads and other facilities.
According to Khaniri, he helped establish 13 schools, a health centre and extend electricity to parts of Hamisi during his years as MP.
He has also described his long political survival as a product of maintaining close contact with voters and delivering services.
“How I have managed to survive on the ballot for the past 26 years is the question that most people are asking,” he said in a 2021 interview.
His political journey has also taken him through several parties.
After beginning his career in KANU, he defended his Hamisi seat through the Narc wave in 2002 and later used an ODM ticket to retain it in 2007.
In 2013, he moved to the Senate on the United Democratic Forum (UDF) and won re-election in 2017 on an Amani National Congress (ANC) ticket.
In March 2022, Khaniri left ANC and joined the United Democratic Party, then led by the late former Lugari MP and Cabinet minister Cyrus Jirongo.
He announced that he would seek the Vihiga governorship on the UDP ticket a party he heads after the demise of Jirongo.
The UDP connection has since acquired a new political dimension following Jirongo’s death in December 2025.
This week’s reports indicate that the party is considering a rebranding and has been linked to discussions over a possible political vehicle for the Linda Mwananchi movement leader cum Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s Presidency bid.
Khaniri’s political relationship with Jirongo also became particularly significant after Jirongo’s death.
He co-chaired the former Lugari MP’s burial committee and called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal road crash.
Senator Osotsi publicly defended Khaniri amid claims that he had faced pressure over his calls for a probe.
His political philosophy has been shaped by his long experience in national and county politics.
In one of his memorable observations, Khaniri said: “Once you land in politics, you only survive by being re-elected.”
He has also repeatedly spoken about the need for development to be felt at the grassroots, particularly through better roads, health services, water and economic opportunities.
For Khaniri, the journey from a young student suddenly thrust into elective politics after his father’s death to a four-term MP, two-term senator, assistant minister and gubernatorial candidate is one of the longest political careers in Vihiga.
His return to the gubernatorial contest means that, at 54, the veteran politician is once again seeking to convert his extensive experience in national politics into the leadership of the county where his political journey began.
Want to be featured, or know a personality who deserves recognition?
📞 WhatsApp: +254 703 633820 / +254 754 168624
✉️ Email: dailynewskenya0@gmail.com
SUPPORT CITIZEN JOURNALISM
Help us keep independent, community-focused journalism alive.
Paybill: 222111
Account No.: 3179512
Your support helps us report, inform and amplify stories from communities that matter.
Thank you for supporting citizen journalism.
🗓️ [Daily News Kenya-International@September 26,2026]
