By Mandere Onyinkwa
Former Starehe MP and assistant minister Bishop Margaret Wanjiru has revived her bid for the Nairobi governorship, announcing that she will contest the 2027 elections under the Kenya Moja Movement Party (K1).
Bishop Wanjiru made the announcement on Sunday morning at Jesus Is Alive Ministries (JIAM), where she addressed hundreds of congregants and declared that Nairobi was in need of a new direction.
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She said the capital city had been led by men for years and argued that the time had come for Nairobi to elect a woman governor.
“I believe Nairobi needs better leadership,” Bishop Wanjiru said, citing her experience as Starehe MP and as an assistant minister for roads during the Mwai Kibaki administration as evidence of her ability to lead the city.
The former legislator is basing her campaign on 10 key priorities: a clean and green city, job creation, attracting and protecting investment, improved healthcare, protection of businesses, better infrastructure, fighting corruption, quality education, reliable water supply, and respect for all tribes and religions.
She said Nairobi’s position as an international business hub had not been fully exploited, particularly in attracting foreign investment and strengthening relationships with international partners.
“We have not fully exploited Nairobi’s relationship with international players, especially investors,” she said, arguing that her administration would seek to turn the city’s global connections into jobs and economic opportunities for residents.
Bishop Wanjiru also took aim at incumbent Governor Johnson Sakaja, accusing him of failing to honour a political understanding reached before she shelved her 2022 gubernatorial bid in his favour.
She said she had supported Sakaja’s bid in 2022 after relinquishing her own ambition but claimed that the commitments made at the time had not been honoured.
Wanjiru said she was now part of the United Alternative Opposition and would support its presidential candidate while simultaneously seeking Nairobians’ backing for the governor’s seat.
Her criticism also extends to President William Ruto’s administration. Wanjiru, who until recently served on the Nairobi River restoration committee before resigning, accused the administration of failing to deliver on commitments she said were made ahead of the 2022 elections.
She argued that Nairobi voters should therefore be cautious about entrusting the city’s leadership to the current administration’s political camp.
Meanwhile, K1 is positioning itself as an open political vehicle for aspirants seeking elective positions in Nairobi and beyond.
Wanjiru said the party was willing to work with other political formations and aspirants, including those associated with Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi initiative.
Despite the election being months away, Wanjiru said she already commands a following of about 500,000 supporters and intends to begin wider mobilisation across Nairobi’s 17 constituencies.
