By Nyang’au Araka
If you ever attended a political rally when Kiraitu Murungi was at his energetic peak, you’d remember his booming laugh.
His was an uproarious, contagious sound that could slice through any tension and leave crowds clutching their sides.
The former Meru Governor’s cracking jokes about life, leadership, and the absurdities of politics with a gusto made even his rivals crack a smile.
To many, his laughter was as familiar as his fiery debates and bold stances—so much so that followers joked that traditional medicine should bottle a dose of the “Kiraitu cackle” for gloomier days.
But it now turns out that beneath that joyful exterior was a man who knew sorrow all too well.
After more than three decades on Kenya’s political stage, dating back to his first election in 1992, Kiraitu’s status as a seasoned MP, Cabinet minister, Senator and Meru Governor came with immense pressures and expectations.
Then came 2022 and he lost the gubernatorial race to Kawira Mwangaza, who eventually got impeached.
For Kiraitu, the loss shook him deeply and, for a time, stripped away the relentless optimism that drove his loud laughter.
What followed was a period of reflection, counseling, and a search for meaning after electoral defeat.
“For over 30 years, politics is all I knew,” he told a gathering of family and close friends during the ceremony.
“Losing in 2022 was painful. I almost slipped into depression — a place I never want to go back to.”
Out of that struggle emerged a remarkable transformation: Kiraitu’s embrace of happiness as a mission.
Today, armed with studies from the Happiness Studies Academy and fresh perspectives on wellbeing, he leads the Happiness Society of Kenya, a crusade to bring joy into workplaces, institutions, and even the halls of power.
He argues that people spend about 80 % of their waking life at work, and when that space is joyless, the ripples touch homes, relationships, and society at large.
“Happiness isn’t frivolous—it’s medicinal, essential, and productive,” the now retired politician says.
In partnership with bodies like the Institute of Certified Secretaries of Kenya, Kiraitu now pushes for happiness officers in organisations and for joy to be recognised as a valid metric for growth.
It was rather a surprising turn for a man who was expected to stay longer on the political arena of Meru County but anyone who knew his unmistakable laugh knows there was always a philosopher hiding in the comedian.
Now, instead of cracking jokes for applause, he’s preaching laughter from the heart as a prescription for life.
The campaign is likely to gain traction for as Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”