Africa-Press – Kenya. Several Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of County Assembly (MCAs) will not be defending their seats as they eye new positions in 2027.
At least four city MPs have declared interest in the gubernatorial seat, while about seven MCAs are eying parliamentary seats within Nairobi.
Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi wants to replace Ken Lusaka as Bungoma governor and will likely be facing Didmus Barasa and ex-Governor Wycliffe Wangamati.
However, Wanyonyi’s colleagues Babu Owino (Embakasi East), James Gakuya (Embakasi Central) and George Aladwa (Makadara) want to dethrone incumbent Johnson Sakaja of UDA.
Aladwa has declared that he will be seeking his ODM party ticket, while Owino has been signalling his moves to Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Party, as Gakuya eyes Rigathi Gachagua-led DCP party ticket.
Gakuya, who faces ex-PS Irungu Nyakera for the DCP ticket, has erected huge billboards across several city roads urging Nairobians to turn out in large numbers and enlist as voters.
On his side, Aladwa, who is the ODM Nairobi branch chairman, rejected an offer to be Moses Kuria’s running mate and insisted he is in the race to return to City Hall, a place he left in 2013 as the capital’s last Mayor.
“I am firmly in the race to take over from Sakaja and very confident that my party ODM will give me the ticket,” Aladwa said.
In a bid to raise his stakes, Owino recently declared that he will run for governor before eying the presidency in 2032.
“I’m overqualified to be Kenya’s President in 2032. I have the passion, energy, and political acumen. My followers are urging me to prove to the world that I can be the President,” the Embakasi East MP said, adding that he will formally declare his governor bid next month.
“In 2027, Nairobians know Babu is the incoming governor. I’ll declare my bid by January 2025. For now, I’m focused on the work.”
Other than MPs, MCAs Abbas Ibrahim Khalif (South-C), Moses Ogeto (Kilimani), Oluoch Odalo (Mabatini), Peter Imatwok (Makongeni), Jeremiah Themendu ‘Morefire’ (Kayole) and Ricardo Nyantika (Embakasi) are seeking to elevate from County Hall to the National Assembly.
Abbas Khalif is eyeing the Langata parliamentary seat currently held by Felix Odiwour ‘Jalango’ and has been holding meetings with several groups in all the wards.
He recently met Kalenjin community representatives to woo them, just weeks after he announced that he will be sponsoring all football teams from the constituency.
On his side, Imatwok, who is currently the Majority Leader, is headed to his rural home in Busia with an eye on the Teso South Parliamentary seat, while Odalo wants to dethrone Anthony Oluoch.
Kilimani’s Ogeto wants to take the Dagoretti North Parliamentary seat held by Beatrice Elachi of ODM.
Ogeto scored a first-round victory after delegates allied to him won all the ODM sub-branch seats in pos disputed by Elachi.
“This is our first victory, and we will soon cap it by taking the MP seat,” Ogeto, who is serving his third term as MCA, told his supporters after the grassroots elections.
Nyantika is seeking to take over from Babu Owino in Embakasi East, while his Kayole Counterpart Themendu is eyeing Embakasi Central.
In 2022, former Matopeni/Springvalley MCA Abdi Hassan Guyo made a last-minute decision to switch from vying for Embakasi Central MP seat and announced his bid for Isiolo governorship seat and subsequently won on a Jubilee ticket.
At the time, he was serving as Majority Leader while his counterpart (minority leader) Michael Ogada failed in his bid to replace Babu Owino in Embakasi East.
Party affiliations are among the likely factors that will influence the elections in Nairobi, with ODM likely to be weakened following Raila Odinga’s death on October 15, 2025.
Recently, Gachagua said his DCP/Wiper alliance will sweep the majority of the seats in the capital following Raila’s demise.
According to the DCP party leader, the United Opposition is targeting the governorship, the senate, at least 16 out of 17 parliamentary seats, and 75 out of 85 ward seats.
“We have an agreement with the Wiper leader, who has been helping ODM in Nairobi. The deal is to have the Governor, Woman Rep and Senator on DCP, while we have agreed, working with Wiper, to have at least 16 out of 17 MPs in our coalition and 75 out of 85 MCAs.”
The DCP leader was later compelled to clarify his statement that the seats belong to his Kikuyu community while saying his coalition welcomed leaders like Senator Edwin Sifuna and Babu Owino.
