DNK International By Our Correspondent,Mumias
Nuru Maloba Okanga is one of Kenya’s most unconventional political activists.
A man whose journey from poverty and interrupted schooling to national prominence has played out in the unforgiving glare of social media, police cells and courtrooms.
He was born in the early 1990s in Kakamega County and grew up in a humble rural background.
Okanga dropped out of school in lower primary after his family could no longer afford fees.
For years he survived on casual labour particularly farming and harvesting sugar, but his determination to reclaim lost time saw him return to school as an adult.
He sat for his KCPE as a private candidate in 2023 at Mumias Muslim Primary School, where he scored 320 marks out of the possible 500 marks.
To him as he talked to Daily News Kenya-International the results he proudly cited as proof that education and leadership have no age limit.
He has also spoken publicly about later enrolling to complete his secondary education as part of his long term political preparation.
He’s preparing to vie for the seat of Kholera MCA seat in 2027 and is married to Imelda Okanga.
Okanga rose to fame not through party structures but through his fiery, often raw political commentary on social media, where he emerged as a vocal supporter of opposition politics and a fierce critic of President William Ruto’s administration.
His street level language, dramatic delivery and unapologetic style won him a loyal following among young and economically marginalised Kenyans who saw in him their own frustrations and aspirations.
That same visibility, however, placed him on a collision course with the state.
In 2024, he was arrested and charged with cybercrime and computer misuse over alleged online attacks against President Ruto, a case that attracted national attention and reignited debate on free speech.
On Tuesday, a Milimani court acquitted him of three charges facing him after it found out that prosecutors had failed to prove authorship or digital linkage, a verdict Okanga framed as both personal vindication and a victory for constitutional freedoms.
He was represented in the case by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino,lawyers Collins Abner and Shadrack Wambui among others.
Buoyed by his acquittal and grassroots popularity, Okanga has since declared his intention to vie for a Member of County Assembly seat in Mumias, casting himself as a protest candidate against elite politics and broken promises.
His chances of winning remain uncertain as he’s admired by supporters for his authenticity and resilience, dismissed by critics as confrontational and light on policy depth but few doubt his ability to mobilise attention and shape debate.
Across the political divide, he has interacted with figures from different camps, reinforcing his image as a street-level influencer rather than a party insider.
To his followers, his life itself is the message that power can be challenged from the margins, that failure is not final, and that, as he often declares, “the voice of the people is louder than fear.”
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🗓️ [DNK-International@January 21,2026]
