KITALE – On a cool morning in late August 2022, a new governor walked into his office at exactly 7:00 am. He wore a black striped suit, a light‑blue shirt, and a striped neck‑tie. Behind him hung three flags: two national, one county. On his desk lay a folded newspaper. He pulled out a notebook and began to write.
For most politicians, that would have been a photo op. For George Natembeya, it was a statement of intent. Within hours, he issued two executive orders aimed at slashing bureaucracy and forcing county workers to show up on time. Kazi imeanza, mwananchi mbele mfanyikazi nyuma – “Work has started; the citizen comes first, the worker follows,” he declared.
Three years later, an Infotrak survey would rank him among the best‑performing governors in Kenya, with a 64% – and in some polls 70% – approval rating. Another poll named him the most influential politician in Western Kenya. Not bad for a boy who was born into a squatter family and whose first lesson in leadership came from a man famous for terrorizing matatu drivers.
Ask Natembeya who shaped him, and he gives a name that makes old‑school Kenyans sit up straight: John Michuki.
The Squatter’s Son Who Read People, Not Just Books
“I was born in Trans Nzoia in 1971 to parents who were squatters at that time, but we moved immediately to Bungoma, where my grandfather had land.”
That single sentence from a Nation interview in January 2022 captures Natembeya’s origin story: landless, rootless, and pushed by circumstance into the arms of a grandfather’s smallholding. He studied at Mother of Apostles Seminary, sitting his KCSE in 1989 before enrolling at the University of Nairobi.
He chose Anthropology – the study of human societies. He completed a bachelor’s degree and, against all odds, won a government scholarship for a master’s programme. “I think I was the first District Officer with a master’s degree in those days,” he later recalled. He earned his MA in Anthropology in 1998 and graduated in 1999.
In 1996, at age 25, he was employed as a district officer and posted to Transmara. But after just six months, the government sent him back to university on fully paid study leave – a rare investment in a junior civil servant. Upon returning, he worked in Murang’a, Narok, Nandi Hills, Uasin Gishu, and Isiolo. At each posting, he left a trail of resolved crises: disarming bandits in volatile Trans Mara, evicting forest encroachers from the Mau water tower, and crushing the Mungiki gang in Murang’a where he took over from Kenneth Lusaka, now Senate Speaker.
But his real education began when he was summoned to Harambee House for a “brief assignment” under the late John Michuki, then Minister for National Security.
Sitting at Michuki’s Right Hand: The Forging of a Hard Man
For three years, Natembeya served as Michuki’s personal assistant. The old minister was known as Kenya’s most unforgiving taskmaster. He demanded perfection, even on punctuation. “He was very particular, keen and specific – even on where a colon, hyphen, full stop should be,” Natembeya told the Nation.
Natembeya adapted so completely that he became the only person who could draft a memo, a letter and a speech that Michuki would sign without reading. Senior officials would sometimes ask, “Has Natembeya looked at this?” before approaching the minister’s desk.
From Michuki, Natembeya absorbed three non‑negotiable lessons: work until the job is done; never confuse diplomacy with weakness; and trust is earned through consistency, not charisma. “I used to write all of Mr Michuki’s speeches and I mastered the tone, phrases and sentence flow that he wanted, depending on whether he was delivering a warning or being diplomatic,” he said.
That training would define his tenure as Rift Valley Regional Commissioner from June 2019 to January 2022. The region was bleeding from banditry in Baringo, Turkana, West Pokot, Laikipia and Samburu. Politicians wanted peace talks. Natembeya gave them one month. When attacks continued, he resumed the security operation without hesitation. He called out politicians for arming bandits and forced the surrender of illegal firearms, succeeding where many had failed.
His most controversial assignment came as Narok County Commissioner, where he led the Mau Forest evictions – winning praise from environmentalists and enemies from the political class in equal measure.He didn’t care. “I have worked hard to where I’m today, and I will not worship or clap for leaders who call themselves kingpins and have done nothing for our community,” he would later say as governor.
The Resignation That Shocked the Civil Service
On a quiet day in January 2022, Natembeya did something no high‑ranking government official had done before: he resigned from his position as Regional Commissioner to contest the Trans Nzoia gubernatorial seat, in full compliance with the Elections Act. Colleagues called him reckless. The political establishment laughed. He had never run for any elective office.
On 9 August 2022, he polled 158,919 votes against Chris Wamalwa’s 79,020 – a landslide. “It is with profound humility that I accept the overwhelming support that I have been shown by the residents of Trans Nzoia – bestowing me with privileges to be their governor,” he tweeted. Then he added, almost as an afterthought: “Those who voted for me and those who didn’t are all my people.”
That night, the boy who was born a squatter became the chief executive of the county where he first drew breath.
The Ukombozi Campaign: Promises Made, Promises Delivered
Natembeya labelled his manifesto the Ukombozi Campaign – a 10‑point liberation agenda aimed at dragging Trans Nzoia out of poverty, disease and illiteracy. Three years in, the numbers are startling.
Agriculture – the county’s heartbeat – received a direct transfusion. Natembeya launched a free maize‑seed distribution programme now in its third year, costing the county Sh139 million and benefiting over 300,000 small‑scale farmers. In 2025 alone, the programme reached 200,000 vulnerable households, with county agriculture CEC Phanice Naliaka Khatundi revealing a Sh100 million budget for the Mbegu initiative. Natembeya has projected a harvest of seven million bags of maize, cementing Trans Nzoia’s status as the nation’s breadbasket. Beyond maize, he has championed coffee and tea diversification and hailed the national government’s fertiliser subsidy programme while demanding price controls to protect farmers.
Healthcare saw his most ambitious bet: the Tom Mboya Mother and Child Hospital, an 80‑bed facility dedicated to maternal and infant care, now fully complete and set to open in 2025 or early 2026. Six maternity theatres have been constructed across Kwanza, Cherengani, Saboti and Kiminini sub‑counties, with 30 per cent of the county budget allocated to healthcare and over 2,000 community health promoters deployed. NateCare and BagMaize health insurance schemes have also been rolled out.
Education received the famous school milk programme, which has boosted attendance by nearly 50 per cent across all 434 Early Childhood Development Education centres, reaching 42,000 early learners. The Elimu Bursary has supported 22,000 students, while vocational training centres have seen a 70 per cent funding increase. Twenty‑three modern twin classrooms have been completed across various wards, and 2.3 million trees planted annually to restore the Cherangany and Mt Elgon water towers.
Infrastructure has seen over 2,000 kilometres of roads graded, a Sh600 million 20,000‑seater Kitale Stadium under construction, and Kiminini market being upgraded to a municipality. A new county headquarters is planned as a one‑stop shop for all services.
The ‘Tawe’ Movement and the Political Earthquake
Beyond development, Natembeya has ignited a cultural and political rebellion called “Tawe” – a Swahili word meaning “we refuse”. He has publicly rebuked established Western Kenya leaders like Moses Wet’ang’ula and Musalia Mudavadi, accusing them of poverty and unfulfilled promises. “The time has come to say ‘no’ firmly. No to poverty, no to poor leadership. We must be clear and decisive in our pursuit of a better life,” he declared.
He has declared himself a self‑made leader and argues that the proliferation of small political parties in the Luhya community has weakened its bargaining power. His confrontational style has drawn criticism, but it has also attracted a new generation of voters tired of dynastic politics. When the Ethics and Anti‑Corruption Commission raided his home in May 2025, a section of youth and professionals defended him as “professional and inclusive”.
In January 2026, an Infotrak poll crowned him the most influential politician in Western Kenya. By April 2026, he was ranked second nationally among best‑performing governors, behind Murang’a’s Irungu Kang’ata.
The Man Behind the Tough Talk
Natembeya is married to Lillian Khaemba, and together they have three children. Among his titles are the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) , the Head of State’s Commendation (HSC) , and later the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) and Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS). He holds a 94 per cent leadership rating in core competencies including negotiations, infrastructure, energy and IT.
He still describes himself as “a self‑made leader”. And he still writes his own speeches – just as Michuki taught him.