Kemi Badenoch, the current leader of the UK’s Conservative Party and Member of Parliament for North West Essex, has built a reputation as a bold and outspoken figure in British politics. Born in London to Nigerian parents, she spent part of her childhood in Nigeria before returning to the UK as a teenager.
While she’s often in the headlines for her political views, there are many little-known details about her life that reveal her resilience and complexity.
READ ALSO: Kemi Badenoch responds to Shettima’s criticism
Here are eight surprising facts about Kemi Badenoch that you may not know:
1. She once hacked a politician’s website as a prank
Before joining politics, Badenoch made headlines for a mischievous act. Around 2008, she guessed the password to Labour MP Harriet Harman’s website and posted a fake endorsement of Boris Johnson for London mayor. She later apologized, and the matter was reported to the UK’s cybercrime unit.
2. She faced hardship growing up in Nigeria
During her childhood in Lagos, Nigeria, Badenoch experienced the difficulties of life under military rule. Her family often went without electricity and running water. After her father lost his job, she helped fetch water from a distant borehole and studied by candlelight.
3. She arrived in the UK at 16 with only £100
At just 16, Badenoch moved to south London alone, carrying only her British passport and £100. She lived with family friends and worked multiple jobs including waitressing and railway maintenance while preparing for her A-level exams.
4. She’s a trained engineer and studied law part-time
Badenoch earned a master’s degree in computer systems engineering from the University of Sussex and began her career as a software engineer. Later, she studied law part-time at Birkbeck, University of London, while working full-time.
5. She once worked at McDonald’s
To support herself as a student, Badenoch took up a job flipping burgers at McDonald’s while studying for her A-levels in maths, chemistry, and biology. She later joked that this experience gave her “a taste of working-class life,” though the comment drew criticism from some quarters.
6. She once reported a classmate for cheating and got him expelled
As a teenager in Nigeria, Badenoch’s strong sense of fairness stood out. During an exam, she openly accused a classmate of cheating, leading to the student’s expulsion. She later described the incident as an early sign of her intolerance for dishonesty.
7. A crime story changed her faith
Raised in a devout Christian home, Badenoch said she lost her faith after learning about the Josef Fritzl case in Austria, where a man imprisoned his daughter for 24 years. The shocking story made her question her religious beliefs.
8. She’s related to Nigeria’s former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo
Few people know that Badenoch shares family ties with former Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Her father, a medical doctor and rights activist, and her mother, a university lecturer, are part of the extended Osinbajo family. Despite this notable connection, Badenoch seldom mentions it publicly, choosing instead to focus on her British political identity.
