A Kenyan-born Ramsey charter commissioner who says he fell in love with the suburb while visiting family in neighboring Anoka has filed to run for the Ward 3 seat on the Ramsey City Council, setting up a race against incumbent council member Dan Specht.
Victor Jumah, who immigrated to the United States around middle school age and has lived in Ramsey for about a decade, said his decision to run grew out of years of civic involvement and a desire to help preserve what first attracted his family to the city.
Born in Kenya and raised in Minnesota, Jumah works as a program manager and earned a business management degree from Metropolitan State University. He said his professional experience has included helping families navigate housing, health and economic stability challenges.
“As our kids became school age, Ramsey struck us as the right place for us to live,” Jumah said in an interview with Mshale. “It was safe and even though it is a suburb, it still has that small-town feel that we both liked.”
He said he and his wife initially rented an apartment in Ramsey before purchasing their first home two years ago.
“We have now been residents for 10 years,” he said. “People in Ramsey are also very friendly and welcoming. I can walk to the parks with my kids and part of the reason I am running is to promote that welcoming and safe environment.”
Jumah said he wants future residents to experience the same sense of community his family found in Ramsey.
“Given my experience in Ramsey that is why I believe in balanced growth,” he said. “Meaning any growth we are pursuing as a city is thoughtful and sustainable and does not destroy our neighborhoods, but strengthens them.”
Jumah currently serves on the Ramsey Charter Commission, a volunteer body that reviews and recommends changes to the city charter, and has also completed the Ramsey Police Department Citizens Academy program.
“About four years ago I saw an ad for the charter commission asking for volunteers to join and I was like, ‘Why not me?’” Jumah said. “And shortly after that I received mail from the judge that I had been appointed.”
Charter commissioners in the City of Ramsey are appointed by the chief judge overseeing the judicial district serving the city. Under Minnesota law, the appointments are designed to operate independently of the mayor and city council.
Jumah said serving on the commission gave him a deeper understanding of how local government functions and the importance of collaboration, accountability and checks and balances in city governance.
“Serving on the Charter Commission has given me a clearer understanding of how local government is structured and how the city charter functions as the foundation for that system,” he said.
“It has also deepened my understanding that the work of the city council depends on many other leaders at different levels to make the best decisions possible, and that strong checks and balances are essential to ensuring accountability, transparency and good governance.”
The campaign also reflects broader demographic shifts occurring in some outer-ring Twin Cities suburbs. Census data shows Ramsey, a city of roughly 28,000 residents, has a growing foreign-born population, with African immigrants making up a significant share of those residents.
Jumah said part of his motivation for running is ensuring the city maintains the same welcoming environment his family experienced.
“I want anyone that moves to Ramsey to receive the same welcome I got,” he said.
Among the issues he said he is prioritizing are public safety, thoughtful development and what he described as “practical leadership.”
He described public safety as “the most important responsibility of local government” and said he supports partnerships between police, schools, community organizations and residents.
Jumah also pointed to his participation in the Ramsey Police Department Citizens Academy, a seven-week program designed to help residents better understand law enforcement operations and public safety work.
On development, he said growth should strengthen neighborhoods rather than undermine them.
“I love the outdoors and do not want to see that destroyed,” he said.
He said he also wants city leadership to focus more on collaboration and problem-solving.
“Let’s focus on what we have in common,” Jumah said. “Putting our differences apart, making sure that we are focusing on a solution.”
Author
About Tom Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
Born and raised in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, Tom is the Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Mshale which has been reporting on the news and culture of African immigrants in the United States since 1995. He has a BA in Business from Metro State University and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He was the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dish Network satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states. Tom has served and chaired various boards including Global Minnesota (formerly Minnesota International Center), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has previously served as the first Black President of the Board of Directors at Books for Africa. He also serves on the board of the Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium. He has previously served two terms on the board of the United Nations Association. An avid runner, he retired from running full marathons after turning 50 and now only focuses on training for half marathons.
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