Fred Gumo is a Kenyan politician. He belongs to Orange Democratic Movement and represented the Westlands Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya from 1994 to 2013. He was originally elected in a by-election following the death of his predecessor Amin Walji. In 2013 he was replaced by Timothy Wanyonyi Wetangula as the representative of Westlands Constituency. Fred Gumo facilitated the great migration of communities from Western Province, move into Nairobi when he headed the then City Council of Nairobi.
Education
He studied diploma in Mechanical Engineering at the Kenya Polytechnic and went on to study a higher diploma in the same field at Metropolitan college in London.
Career
He was elected to parliament following a by-election after the death of his predecessor Amin Walji. He held this position from the mid 90s until 2013 when Timothy Wanyonyi Wetangula became MP for Westlands.
He also served as the Assistant Minister for Tourism and Wildlife between 2003 to 2007. In 2008, he was appointed Minister for Regional Development Authorities from 2008. The veteran politician was also elected mayor of Kitale Municipal Council and chairman of Nairobi City Commission between 1989 to 1992.
In 2012, he was appointed to take over the ministerial duties at the Ministry of Local Government in an acting capacity. The office had fallen vacant after the then deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi resigned in order to focus his energy on his presidential bid.
In 2013, the veteran politician announced he was quitting active politics. He said he would not be going for any political positions in the coming elections as he wanted to spend time with his family and travel the world. He then added that he would support Raila Odinga’s presidential bid.
Family
Fred Gumo is the first born son of Pius Gumo and Martina Gumo. He is married to 2 wives Mary Gumo and Emma Gumo to whom he has 10 children.
Gumo found with Moi’s stolen car
The Range Rover went missing in 2008 from the CMC Industrial Area, Nairobi, workshop where it had been taken for repairs after it was involved in an accident at Kijabe on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
Contacted on Friday, Mr Gumo however said he bought the vehicle from a Mombasa-based businessman.
“I traded in my vehicle with a Mombasa businessman to get this car. However, I rarely use it because I never received all the documents,” said Mr Gumo.
The minister added that at one time he returned the vehicle to the said seller but repossessed it after the businessman failed to pay him. He added that he has taken the vehicle to CMC for service many times.
The controversial ownership of the vehicle dragged in Eldoret North MP William Ruto, forcing the State to buy Mr Moi another one after it was discovered that he had retired with none.
The vehicle parked at CMC on Friday bore registration number KBQ 455S but records in the company’s computers showed that it was received for service yesterday as KBJ 124D.
It was towed by police to Central Police Station in Nairobi.
In a statement to newsrooms, CMC Chief Executive Officer Billy Lay said the vehicle dealer impounded the vehicle after its details matched the car that went missing in the premises.
“CMC is announcing that it has impounded a motor vehicle whose details are believed to closely match those of a car that was believed to have gone missing in its workshop in 2008,” said Mr Lay.
When the car was stolen in 2008, the then CMC chief executive, Mr Martin Forster, filed a Sh18 million compensation claim with APA Insurance. And when Ashok Shah, the insurer’s CEO and a CMC board member, rejected the claim, Mr Forster cancelled the insurance contract that the motor dealer had held with APA for two decades.
