Nairobi, Sept. 6 — Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, a former Starehe MP, on Sunday declared her candidacy for Nairobi governor, announcing the move during a service at her Jesus Is Alive Ministries church.
“People of Nairobi have asked me to give them direction on my next political step,” Wanjiru told congregants, confirming she will run on the ticket of the Kenya Moja Movement (K1), a party she is positioning as a fresh alternative for the capital.
Wanjiru resigned as chairperson of the Nairobi Rivers Commission on August 13, after roughly 20 months in the role, clearing the way for her entry into the race. Her campaign platform centres on sanitation and waste management, water supply, infrastructure, healthcare and job creation, alongside pledges to make Nairobi more attractive to investors.
She also used the announcement to invite Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other opposition figures to join K1, a move that inserts her into the wider realignment already under way in opposition ranks. Sifuna heads the Linda Mwananchi breakaway ODM faction and has himself been positioning for a bigger political role ahead of 2027, including talk of a possible presidential run alongside Rigathi Gachagua.
Wanjiru’s entry adds a new name to an already crowded Nairobi governorship contest, where incumbent Johnson Sakaja faces pressure from rivals such as Polycarp Igathe, with recent opinion polling placing Sakaja, Sifuna and MP Esther Passaris among the most preferred candidates for the seat.