Machel Waikenda

In 2017, Waikenda founded The Waikenda Foundation and is its CEO and Founding Trustee. The Waikenda Foundation Trust is a charitable trust and a nonprofit organization consisting of a community of young Africans that are committed to serving local communities through empowerment so as to uplift the lives of Africans. The Waikenda Foundation focuses on a range of community service projects such as construction of sheds for Boda Boda operators, support of the Matatu industry, provision of free WIFI for youth group programs, environmental conservation, fight against HIV/AIDS, reducing infant mortality rates, increasing farmer's yields, education, public policy, and leadership incubation and training.

Waikenda has been struggling to revolutionize the Kenyan political arena. In 2013, he initiated a nationwide program dubbed "Dunda" that was used by the Jubilee Coalition to agitate for support from the youth. The campaign, which involved a range of renowned local artistes such Jaguar, Bamboo, Abbas, Chiwawa, Ally B, G con, and Ben Githae, was meant to inform the youth about their pivotal role in politics and civic rights as well as giving them an opportunity to highlight their issues to political aspirants allied to the Jubilee Party. Taking the opportunity accorded by the extensive media coverage during the campaigns, Waikenda called the government to formulate a framework that would pave the way for the allocation of 2.5 per cent of the country's annual GDP to the Youth Enterprise Capital Fund, a program that would enable the youth to access interest-free business financing. In hindsight, the government-elect announcement that it would allocate 30 percent of its procurement tenders to young entrepreneurs.

Waikenda joined The National Alliance in April 2012 and was the Chief Coordinator for the 2012 By-Elections in Kangema, Ndhiwa, and Kajiado North. He was the acting Executive Director of the Party, Director of Communications, and the Secretary of Arts and Entertainment where he coordinated media and communications affairs. After the party won the presidential and general elections in March 2013, he was appointed to the National Olympics Committee Youth Commission.

In 2006, Waikenda founded Blackstar Entertainment, a youth entertainment company based in Nairobi that focuses on providing multimedia solutions to corporate organizations across Africa. Initially, Blackstar Entertainment organized gigs and parties, but later grew to become a market brand for then presidential aspirant Uhuru Kenyatta. The entertainment company was used to drive youth-oriented aspects of TNA's campaigns, including sensitizing the youth on the need for good governance and encouraging them to vote,

Waikenda began his career as a pilot trainee in Kenya airways in 2005 and was promoted to the rank of the First Officer (FO) (also referred to as the co-pilot) six months later. He holds a commercial pilot licence (CPL) with ratings for the 737 and 767 planes and over 3,000 flight hours. He was formerly an employee at Kenya Airways before he quit his career to focus on other business ventures, especially in the entertainment industry.

Dr. Machel Waikenda (/m ə ˈ ʃ ɛ l w aɪ ˈ k ɛ n d ə / mə-SHEL wy-KEN -də; born 23 April 1981) is a Kenyan politician, pilot, engineer, columnist, media entrepreneur, and the incumbent State House Director of Political Affairs. He was the first County Executive Committee Member in charge of Youth Affairs, Sports, and Communications in the County Government of Kiambu. Between April 2012 and August 2013, he was the communications director for The National Alliance, which through a merger with 13 other mainstream parties formed the Jubilee Party that catapulted the then sitting president Uhuru Kenyatta to his reelection in 2017. Waikenda is the CEO of the Waikenda Foundation and the founder of Blackstar Entertainment, a multimedia solutions provider.

Machel Waikenda was born on 23 April 1981 in Kiambu County and was named ‘Machel’ in honor of Samora Machel, the former president of Mozambique. His father, a banker, worked in Central Bank of Kenya and his mother in the civil service.