Senator Mutinda launches bid for Nairobi Woman Rep seat

The race for the Nairobi County Woman Representative seat is shaping up to be highly competitive.

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With less than two years to the 2027 General Election, multiple aspirants have already positioning themselves to succeed incumbent Esther Passaris.

The contest intensified after nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda formally launched her bid for the seat, which she is seeking on President William Ruto’s UDA ticket.

Mutinda’s entry comes as Passaris has confirmed she will not defend the seat after completing two terms.

“By 2027, God willing, I will have completed two full terms as Nairobi Woman Rep. This is an affirmative action seat and I believe it is time for another woman to lead,” Passaris said last month.

Passaris was first elected Nairobi Woman Representative in 2017 and successfully defended the seat in the 2022 General Election.

Her tenure has largely focused on women’s empowerment and youth initiatives across the county.

However, her time in office has not been without controversy. Most notably, she recently sponsored the contentious Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which attracted widespread public criticism for proposing tighter controls on demonstrations.

The Bill sparked protests and culminated in a petition to recall her, which was submitted to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in July 2025.

Mutinda officially launched her campaign on Friday at the University of Nairobi’s School of Science along Ngong Road.

Addressing supporters, she highlighted her grassroots engagement with women groups across the capital.

“I have been working with fellow women in Nairobi, empowering them through table banking. We have touched lives in all the 17 subcounties, and that is what I want to continue doing,” Mutinda said.

As part of her Wezesha Mama empowerment initiative, Mutinda issued cheques amounting to Sh1 million to various women groups during the launch, signalling that economic empowerment will be a central pillar of her campaign.

The event attracted tens of leaders and politicians from across the political divide, underscoring the high political stakes surrounding the seat.

Among those present were former Machakos Senator and Parliamentary Service Commission member Johnstone Muthama and Principal Secretary for Aerospace Development Teresia Mbaika.

Several Members of Parliament attended, including Peter Orero (Kibra), Antony Oluoch (Mathare), Mwengi Mutuse (Kibwezi West), John Kiarie (Dagoretti South) and Vincent Musyoka (Mwala). Also present were nominated senators Hamida Kibwana, Beth Syengo and Karen Nyamu, alongside MPs Caleb Mutiso (Machakos Town) and Fabian Kyule (Kangundo).

Passaris, who attended the launch, endorsed Mutinda’s candidature, describing her as capable and experienced.

“Tabitha is capable of serving as Woman Rep. When time comes, you, the people of Nairobi, will decide,” Passaris said.

Other leaders echoed similar sentiments, portraying Mutinda as a forward-looking and energetic leader with the capacity to serve the capital.

Her entry adds to an already crowded field of aspirants eyeing the seat, including Karen Nyamu, former nominated senators Millicent Omanga and Beatrice Kwamboka.

Muthama said Kenya Kwanza and the emerging broad-based political arrangement would eventually agree on a single candidate for the seat.

“When that time comes, we will call you as a party, and we will agree without any noise. That is what we did in 2022,” said Muthama, a pioneer UDA chairman.

However, the former Machakos senator also turned his fire DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of misleading Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka into challenging President William Ruto in the next election.

“Our man is being sacrificed so that he can face Ruto and lose. In 2032, they will say, ‘we supported you and you failed, now support me,’” Muthama claimed, cautioning Kenyans against leaders who promote ethnic politics.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

The County Woman Representative position was created under the 2010 Constitution to enhance women’s representation in the National Assembly. The office holder is mandated to represent county interests, champion the rights of women and girls, and oversee the National Government Affirmative Action Fund at the county level—making the Nairobi contest one of the most politically significant affirmative action races ahead of 2027.