Kitui Governor Julius Malombe/Musembi Nzengu.Kitui Governor Julius Malombe has declared his intention to run for the county senatorial seat in the 2027 elections when his term ends.
Malombe said he has decided to pursue the Senate seat following calls from residents.
“I have listened to our people, and the voice of the people, we are told, is the voice of God. I will do as they wish,” Malombe said at a public rally at Imwange during a development tour of Kitui South subcounty on Friday.
His entry into the race means he will face county assembly speaker Kevin Katisya and his own agriculture executive Stephen Mbaya Kimwele who had previously declared their interest in the seat.
Also eyeing the position is Mwingi-based education investor Muinde Mutukaa. Current Senator Enoch Wambua is eying the governorship.
Mutukaa, who is associated with Charity Ngilu’s Narc party, will be making a second attempt at the seat after losing to Wambua in the 2022 election.
Malombe disclosed he had received five appeals from Kitui residents, urging him to seek the Wiper Patroitic Front Party ticket for the Senate seat.
“Today, I got five messages from people who wondered why my name was missing from the list of those who had applied for the Wiper ticket, while the deadline for applications was tomorrow (Sunday, October 3),” Malombe said.
The Wiper Party had previously set the deadline for the registration of candidates seeking the ticket for various seats in the 2027 poll but has since pushed by a month to November 3.
Malombe said Kitui residents had generally expressed a desire for him to continue serving them even after his tenure as governor ends.
Without naming anyone, Malombe said Kitui needed effective leadership and proper oversight to ensure that residents received the services and development they deserved without being shortchanged.
He appeared to refer to a previous county administration when he told the gathering that there had been a period when little development had taken place in Kitui county.
“We could get a leader like the one we once had who did not undertake a single development project-not even a street light in a place like Imwange. There was nothing to show for five years of leadership,” Malombe.
“There is a need for a leader who can provide proper oversight as a senator to keep a wayward leader on check,” he said.
The governor said he will not hesitate to respond to calls from residents regarding his next political move.
