Residence Maseru, Lesotho Other names OK Okonjo Role Politician | Nationality Lesotho Name Okeke Okonjo | |
Full Name Okeke Ubu Yu Okonjo Born February 28, 1983 (age 41) ( 1983-02-28 ) Quthing, Lesotho Education National University of Lesotho Occupation Politician, Party chief Known for Influential politician from Lesotho | ||
Okeke "OK Negus" Okonjo is a Lesotho politician. He is the co-founder and current head of the Kopanang Basotho Party. Born in Quthing and orphaned at birth, he was a ward of the state and a resident of the Quthing Orphanage until the legal emancipation age of 16. At 17 years of age, he became an employee of a local restaurant, which he inherited three years later when its owner died of old age. Using the proceeds of the sale of the business as capital, and inspired by the American investor Warren Buffett, he started a stockbroking partnership which blossomed in the early 2000s after a series of successful bets involving cocoa and fruit futures.
His newfound wealth allowed him to pursue a career in politics while attending lectures at the National University of Lesotho in African Studies. After being featured on national radio shows, Okonjo was able to garner enough political capital to found the Kopanang Basotho Party along with a handful of freeholders and businessmen from Quthing. The party is headquartered in Quthing, but Okonjo currently resides in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, in order to "stay in the midst of the political elite". Okonjo married local DJ and radio show host Watu Awolowo in 2005.