Kenyan nurse recaptures councillor seat in Sweden polls

A specialised Kenyan nurse has re-claimed his seat as a councillor in a Swedish town after being nominated by his political party.

Daniel Mwaura Njuguna has been recalled to be a councillor in the Botkyrka Kommun municipality. This is after he had lost his seat during the 2022 municipal elections of Sweden.

Njuguna first became a councillor after winning the 2010 elections in the region of Botkyrka Kommun, Sweden. He was re-elected in 2014 and 2018 polls but lost in 2022.

 “My party suffered some infightings and some of our elected councillors left the party, but not their seats. We found ourselves (Social Democrats) in opposition for the first time in many years in my municipality,” he said.

But in March 2024 during this year’s midterm elections, Njuguna was  re-called by the party caucus to fill the gap as he was one of the most experienced local politicians.

“I was confirmed by the Swedish Stockholm Election Board (Länsstrelsen Stockholm) on March 23 and will continue until the end of this mandate which ends in October 2026,” he said.

Njuguna advises Kenyan youth to seek job opportunities in Scandinavian countries, in addition to the traditional hunting grounds of Middle East, Western Europe, Australia and America. 

There are many job opportunities in Sweden, especially for those with modern technology education such as training in IT.

“The language barrier prevents our people from thinking about the opportunities here in Scandinavian countries, but it's easy to learn European languages if you want and are willing.”

To obtain information on how to get work permits, one should seek help from Swedish embassies in Africa or conduct an internet search on working as immigrants in Sweden, he adds.  

The councillor says it is easy to live and work in Sweden, his adopted country, because it is well maintained and managed. 

“It's a welfare country with strong social democratic models. In contrast, in Kenya capitalism rules and you find the gap between the rich and the poor is very big.”

The Swedish government also caters for several expenses such as school fees and hospital bills, through the all-inclusive taxes. This is in contrast to Kenya where it is common to find relatives left shouldering burial and other expenses for their kin. 

“Everyone in Sweden pays taxes but as opposed to Kenya, here you see where your tax money goes.  In Kenya, for example I pay Kiambu county money to collect garbage in my rental apartments in Thika town but no one from the county government or the government of Kenya is bothered with garbage. I have to pay private companies to collect the waste,” he says.

“There's no open corruption in Sweden as compared to my motherland Kenya. The only thing that Kenya is better than Sweden is social life.  People in Kenya are happier than Swedes even though we have other shortcomings,” he adds.

Njuguna's leadership became apparent in his school days. 

A former deputy head boy at Kijabe Boys High School in 1992, he went on to become the chairman of Organisation of African Asylum Seekers in Sweden in 1994, where he had moved to join his uncle. 

The uncle, Peter Mukuru Mukundi, was a former senior policeman who sought asylum in Sweden after disagreeing with the government of the day over the push for multi-party politics.

Njuguna joined the College of Professional Management in Britain and attained a diploma through correspondence. He later switched from management and enrolled for health studies.

Between 1997 and 2005, he was the secretary general of the then Kenya Human Rights group based in Sweden, headed by former Wundanyi MP Mwandawiro Mghanga.

The councillor became active in youth movements challenging racism and in the process, joined the Swedish Social Democratic Party.

But his interest in politics was stirred in 2006, when Kenyan women MPs held a conference in Stockholm. He met then Narc-Kenya Chairperson Beth Mugo and MP Alicen Chelaite, who challenged him to form the party’s branch in Sweden.

To boost his political credentials, Njuguna studied at Stockholm University and graduated with a Political Science degree. He also learned Swedish and the community’s culture, since English is hardly spoken in the country.

“I am still doing an International Relations degree at Mälmo University here in Sweden.”

Aside from his leadership experience and academic credentials, Njuguna says it is his willingness to integrate and share with the poor in the community has endeared him to many.

The councillor, who continues to work as a nurse at Danvikshem Hospital, Stockholmssjukhem, Botkyrka Kommun, Attendo Care medics and Fri-Assistans, says life as a health practitioner and politician has not been smooth sailing. 

Many conservatives believed he had come to take up their jobs. He also faced opposition from the black community who thought he had no chance of being elected. 

"Now the same people call me with congratulatory messages. I thank God I did not listen to the disappointing comments," he said.

Despite the opposition, a friend from the UK - Councillor Elizabeth Kang’ethe - who had just won as Mayor in East London, encouraged him to run. 

"She visited here with her sister Jane and they boosted my campaigns," Njuguna adds.

He urged Kenyans not to be cowed by those in power in their quest to bring order and real growth in the country. 

"If I made it in Europe why not elect young Kenyans with integrity as governors and senators?"

The councillor says his role model is his mother Mary-Anne Nyambura, a retired teacher living in Chania location, Kiambu County. His late father was also a primary school teacher and a farmer.

His health advice to Kenyans is to eat a balanced diet and concentrate on locally grown organic foods.

“Traditional foods like yams, sweet potatoes, beans, pumpkins and green vegetables such as sukuma wiki (collard greens), managu (Black Nightshade), arrowroots and natural milk are the best.”