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Member of Parliament, Kitui East
Born
1978(48 yrs)
County
Kitui
Constituency
Kitui East
Public Views
Experience
Documented career positions
Nimrod Mbithuka Mbai (born 22 December 1978) is a Kenyan politician, former security officer and two-term Member of Parliament for Kitui East Constituency. He first won the seat in 2017 and retained it in the 2022 general election, making him one of the few United Democratic Alliance (UDA) MPs from the Ukambani region, a landscape historically dominated by Wiper and other opposition parties. His base is largely rural, and he presents himself as a “security expert” and hands-on grassroots representative. Before politics, Mbai served as an Administration Police officer under the Ministry of Internal Security, rising to the presidential escort circuit as security aide to the late Environment Minister Francis Nyenze and later to then Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, for whom he worked as Chief Officer in the county government (2013–2017). In Parliament he has been a member of the Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security, and his public messaging strongly emphasises rural electrification, road access and local security, frequently highlighting new transformers and last-mile connections in Kitui East.
Two-term MP for Kitui East (2017–present): Elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2022, giving him continuous representation of Kitui East and positioning him as one of the region’s few UDA-aligned legislators.
Prominent UDA voice in Ukambani: As one of the most outspoken Kenya Kwanza MPs from the region, he frequently defends government positions and campaigns for UDA in an area traditionally hostile to ruling-party politics.
Rape-remark controversy involving Charity Ngilu (2017): Early in his parliamentary career he was widely condemned for making a crude rape-related remark about then Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu over her support for an election boycott; he later issued a public apology following pressure from women’s-rights groups including FIDA-Kenya.
Assault of Kenya Power engineer (2023): In July 2023 he was filmed assaulting a Kenya Power staffer at his Kitengela home during a dispute over disconnection, leading to his arrest, confiscation of his firearm, and arraignment in court; he subsequently claimed the video had been tampered with.
Advocate for rural electrification and infrastructure: Regularly publicises installation of transformers, grid extensions and feeder roads in Kitui East, framing electrification and access roads as his signature development agenda.
Security-sector expert in Parliament: Draws on his police and presidential escort background to contribute to debates on policing, national security and disaster response through the Administration and National Security Committee and plenary interventions.
Threats against MCAs over impeachment drive (2020s): Has attracted criticism for allegedly threatening county MCAs who sought to impeach the Kitui County Assembly Speaker, reinforcing his reputation for an aggressive, hard-nosed political style.
Mixed public perception: grassroots defender vs. abrasive leader: Supporters portray him as a fearless defender of Kitui East and the police rank-and-file, while critics and civil-society voices cite his verbal outbursts and physical confrontations as unbecoming of a legislator.
