Bishop Wanjiru of the Jesus is Alive ministries declared the gubernatorial bid on her Kenya Moja Movement party on Sunday, adding another high-profile name to the increasingly crowded field.
While declaring her bid, Wanjiru said she will be on the opposition camp even as she called on Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other political leaders to work with the K1 party.
The former Starehe MP said Nairobi was ready for meaningful political and administrative change, inviting Sifuna to join the K1 movement in building a new political alternative for the capital.
“People of Nairobi have asked me to give them direction on my next political step,” Wanjiru said.
Already, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino of the Linda Mwananchi movement, DCP’s James Gakuya and Kasarani MP Ronald Karauri have expressed interest in the Nairobi governorship, setting up a potentially bruising contest against Governor Sakaja.
Others who have expressed interest include Agnes Kagure and Makadara MP George Aladwa.
Sakaja is expected to benefit from the broad-based government arrangement and emerge as the government-backed candidate, putting a premium on opposition unity if his challengers are to prevent the anti-Sakaja vote from being split.
Wanjiru's entry presents the opposition with a fresh headache in managing competing ambitions in Nairobi even as they craft a a common national front against Ruto.
Already, Gachagua has declared a takeover of the city, declaring that DCP will front candidates for all positions, and targets to win the governor, senator, woman rep and 12 MP seats. Gachagua is also targeting to win 62 of the 85 wards.
In the 2022 general election, Wanjiru vied for Nairobi senator on the UDA ticket against Sifuna (ODM). Sifuna won with 57.8 percent (716,876 votes), against Wanjiru’s 42.2 per cent (524,091 votes).
Wanjiru’s entry therefore throws spanner in the works in the race given her past political interest in the city and the Kikuyu ethnic demographic in the capital.
Her bid also comes after former PS Irungu Nyakera stepped down from the governor race and will instead vie for Makadara MP.
The contest is now shaping up to be among Babu, Gakuya and Wanjiru, all seeking to occupy the same political space as the opposition attempts to consolidate its forces.
A divided opposition vote could give Sakaja a significant advantage, even if the combined support of his challengers is greater.
Wanjiru said her administration would focus on education, sanitation, reliable water supply, infrastructure, healthcare and creating a business-friendly environment to attract investment and creating jobs.
Waste management, she said, would be among her immediate priorities, criticising poor garbage collection and environmental degradation in parts of the capital.
Her return to elective politics comes shortly after she left the Nairobi Rivers Commission, where she had served as chairperson for about 20 months.
Wanjiru resigned on August 13, giving a 30-day notice in a letter to Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.
