Noah Wekesa
Noah Mahalang’ang’a Wekesa (born August 21, 1936) is a Kenyan politician. He belongs to the Party of National Unity and was elected to represent the Kwanza Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya since the Kenyan parliamentary election, 2007.He is the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife and formerly the Minister for Science and Technology.
He was educated at Kakamega High School and graduated from University of Edinburgh with a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery.
He was elected to the parliament first time in 1988. These were the last one-party-system elections in Kenya. He used to be a rally driver and he has featured in Safari Rally. He has been a chairman of the Kenya Lawn Tennis Association. His son Paul Wekesa is a retired prominent tennis player.
He holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery (BVMS) from Edinburgh University in Scotland, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Medicine and is a Member of Royal College of Veterinary and Surgeon, (H.SC) in Makerere University College.
Wekesa has been a Divisional Veterinary Officer (DVO) in Ol Kalou, South Nyanza and Kisii Districts and served as the Provincial Veterinary Officer (PVO) in Nyanza Province.
He has also been a Private Practitioner (large and small animal practice) in Kitale District, Small Animal Practice in Mombasa and Nairobi.
In the political arena, Wekesa was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwanza Constituency in 1988. Prior to that, he was elected Treasurer of (Kenya African National Union (KANU) for Trans Nzoia Branch.
Has been a KANU Chairman for Trans Nzoia and in 1997 he was the Presidential Campaign Manager of the Late Vice President Hon. Michael Wamalwa. He was part of the Parliamentary/Civil Society Team of 12 who founded the National Alliance for Change (NAC).
Wekesa was elected Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of NAC, acted as Chairman of the Council of National Alliance Party of Kenya and appointed to one of 10 elders to create a mechanism of uniting Rainbow Alliance and National Party of Kenya. He was elected Co-Chairman of a combined Coordinating Committee representing NAK and Co-Chairman of NARC summit.
He has been a consultant for assessing the capacity of Movement for Change (MDC) structures and personnel while preparing for the 2005 General Elections, part of a 3-man delegation to the House of Commons to meet British Party and Parliamentary Leaders to discuss matters regarding Coalition and Democracy in developing countries, resource person on Coalition Building in Malawi and visiting lecturer for Political Parties in Jakarta in Indonesia.
Dr. Wekesa’s hobbies include Motor Rallying where he participated in three Safari Rallies including the East African and the Zambian National Safari Rallies.
He is an accomplished club player in lawn tennis and became the Chairman of Kenya Lawn Tennis Association as well as coaching his son Paul Wekesa who became the first Kenyan to win as Association of Tennis Professionals ranking list in 1998.