How MP Kiaraho inspired wife to become ‘semi-architect’

Deceased Ol Kalou MP David Kiaraho /HANDOUT

Ol Kalou MP David Kiaraho was more than an architect; he was a visionary whose influence extended far beyond the city skyline.

He passed away on 29th March 2026 after a courageous battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy that shaped Nairobi’s architecture, the lives of his constituents in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua county and even the career path of his wife Jackie Kiaraho.

“My husband was an architect by profession, and I became a semi-architect because of him,” Jackie recalls. “His passion for design, attention to detail and commitment to proper city planning rubbed off on me. We shared a vision of buildings and communities that were not only beautiful but functional,” Jackie said.

Kiaraho’s work is instantly recognisable across Nairobi.

“He could not stand shoddy work or shortcuts,” Jackie says. “If it wasn’t done right, it simply wouldn’t pass.”

Beyond buildings, he championed thoughtful city planning, integrating roads, sewer lines, parking spaces and green areas.

Colleagues remember him as jovial and kind-hearted, someone who built friendships as easily as he built structures. Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua mourned his passing, saying:

“I have learned with great sadness of his passing. He served the people of Ol Kalou with commitment and courage.”

The burial service was held on April 8, in Ol Kalou, with family, friends, and national leaders, including President William Ruto, in attendance.

For Jackie, David’s influence was deeply personal. “He taught me to see the world through the lens of design, to appreciate precision and to care about the way cities grow,” she says. “In a way, his legacy lives on not just in the buildings he designed or the roads he helped plan, but in me.”