Kenyan Natives Make Mayors in Britain & California

This past weeks two Kenyan natives, Opanyi Nasiali and Abdul Mohammed have taken office as mayors in the United States and United Kingdom respectively.

Opanyi Nasiali

The 67-year old, descendant of Maragoli, was voted by his fellow Claremont Council Members as mayor in March, becoming the first black resident and Kenyan native to be mayor of a town of nearly 35,000 people.

Mr. Nasiali went to Chavakali High School in Vihiga County. After completing high school, he later got a checker job, where he supervised people who moved cargo from ships to the warehouses at the port of Mombasa. At the age of 23, he landed a job at Parliament where he and 11 others transcribed the proceedings for members of National Assembly.

He later traveled to US to study urban planning at Cal State University Northridge. He completed his Bachelor in Urban Studies and went on to receive his Masters in Urban Planning and Public Administration.

Abdul Mohammed

Eldoret-born British Kenyan, Councillor Abdul Mohammed was announced at the Council Assembly replacing the outgoing Mayor Althea Smith.

Councillor Mohamed was the Deputy Mayor last year and will hold the office of the Mayor in 2013-2014.

The career engineer's authority spans over south-east London borough of Southwark, the largest authorities in the UK with a population of 283,000.

Mohammed went to African Inland Mission School in Kapsowar before attending Alliance High School.

He attended the University of Nairobi before leaving for Britain and graduating from Leeds University where he trained with the former National Coal Board as a mining engineer.