- Harold Kipchumba has been nominated to replace John Mbadi in the National Assembly under the ODM party.
- He is a celebrated disability rights advocate and former UN Person of the Year.
- Kipchumba contracted polio in childhood and has used his experience to champion disability inclusion and immunisation efforts.
Harold Kipchumba, now 61, was born and raised in Baringo County. He contracted polio at a young age, a life-changing event that led to abandonment by his parents. He was taken in at Nyabondo Home for the Disabled, where his education journey began.
He later joined Lenana School (formerly Duke of York) in Nairobi, becoming the only physically disabled student in his class between 1980 and 1985. Though he was admitted to Kenyatta College, he did not complete his studies there. Years later, he pursued development studies at Kimmage Development Centre in Ireland.
Harold Kipchumba’s career reflects decades of service in health, advocacy, and politics. After being rejected at a Kenya Defence Forces recruitment in 1986 due to his disability, Kipchumba shifted his focus to disability rights and community development.
He worked as a Programmes Officer at the Initiative on Disability and Development (1998–2002), before serving as CEO and Executive Director at Bare Care Centre, a disability-focused organisation.
His breakthrough moment came during the 2013 polio outbreak in Somalia and Kenya, where his efforts earned national praise. That same year, he was nominated as Senator representing persons with disabilities, though his term ended prematurely due to a court ruling.
In 2015, Kipchumba was honoured as the UN Person of the Year in Kenya for his frontline work in polio immunisation.
On July 25, 2025, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) gazetted Harold Kipchumba as the newest nominated Member of Parliament. He was selected to fill a vacancy left by John Mbadi, now serving as the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary.
This marks Kipchumba’s return to Parliament, and his nomination comes under the ODM party list.
Kipchumba is married to Dorothy, and the couple has three children. In April 2013, Kipchumba and his son Hillary were involved in a serious road accident on the Nakuru–Naivasha highway. Kipchumba sustained eye injuries, while Hillary required prolonged medical care due to severe trauma.
Despite such personal challenges, Kipchumba has remained resilient and committed to his mission of advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities and public health across
