Bishop Margaret Wanjiru has officially declared her intention to vie for the Nairobi governor seat in the 2027 General Election on the Kenya Moja Movement (K1) party ticket.
Wanjiru said her decision followed consultations with her supporters, political allies and other stakeholders, who she said had urged her to provide direction on her next political move.
"People of Nairobi have asked me to give them direction on my next political step," Wanjiru said in a statement announcing her candidature.
The former Starehe MP said her decision to return to elective politics was driven by a desire to serve Nairobi residents and restore efficiency, accountability and effective management at the county government.
Wanjiru made the declaration during a Sunday service at Jesus Is Alive Ministries, where she also called on Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other political leaders to work with the K1 party.
Sifuna, who is leading the Linda Mwananchi breakaway faction of ODM, has emerged as one of the prominent opposition figures positioning himself for a bigger political role ahead of the 2027 elections.
Wanjiru said Nairobi was ready for meaningful political and administrative change, inviting Sifuna and other leaders to join the K1 movement in building a new political alternative for the capital.
Her entry into the Nairobi gubernatorial race adds another high-profile name to the contest for control of Kenya's capital, with the 2027 race expected to attract intense competition among political parties and coalitions.
Wanjiru said her proposed administration would prioritise sanitation, reliable water supply, infrastructure development and improved healthcare services.
She also promised to create a business-friendly environment that would support job creation and attract investment into the county.
Waste management, she said, would be among the most urgent challenges her administration would address if elected.
Wanjiru criticised poor garbage collection and environmental degradation in parts of Nairobi, saying the problems had negatively affected the quality of life of residents.
She also identified roads, healthcare and water provision as key sectors that would receive attention under her administration.
Her gubernatorial declaration comes days after she left the Nairobi Rivers Commission, where she had served as chairperson for about 20 months.
Wanjiru resigned from the commission on August 13, giving a 30-day notice in a letter addressed to Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.
In the letter, she said she was ready to move on and "give my full attention to other work".
She subsequently left the commission on August 31.
Her resignation was followed by her emergence as a leading figure in the newly unveiled K1 movement, as she re-entered active politics and began positioning the party within the opposition ahead of the 2027 polls.
