CS Ruku joins crowded Nairobi governor race, takes aim at Sakaja's record

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has joined the crowded race for Nairobi governor, declaring that he will contest the August 10, 2027 General Election on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, barely two days after Governor Johnson Sakaja abandoned the ruling party to join the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Mr Ruku says he is seeking to take over City Hall because of what he considers persistent leadership failures and the inability of the current administration to address longstanding problems facing millions of Nairobi residents, ranging from poor garbage collection and unreliable water supplies to deteriorating roads, inadequate housing and weak urban planning.

In an interview with the Nation, the Cabinet Secretary questioned why Nairobi, as the capital of a country with one of the largest economies in the region, continues to struggle with basic municipal services, arguing that residents should not have to contend with problems that other modern cities have found ways to address.

"There are serious leadership issues as far as Nairobi is concerned. Even getting one flagship project right, even making Nairobi clean is a problem. Why should it be a problem in this age?" Mr Ruku asked.

His entry adds a new political dimension to an increasingly competitive contest that is being reshaped by shifting party affiliations, competing political formations and the growing number of politicians seeking to control the capital.

The announcement also gives UDA a gubernatorial aspirant in Nairobi at a time when it has lost the incumbent, with Mr Sakaja's departure to ODM opening a fresh contest over the party's political influence in the county.

The governor formally joined ODM on Monday, where he was received by senior party officials, including deputy party leader Simba Arati and national chairperson Gladys Wanga, after months of speculation about his political future.

He is seeking to defend his seat on the party's ticket, although his entry has reopened questions about who will eventually carry the party's flag in Nairobi.

Mr Ruku has said the political transition presents an opportunity to position himself as the UDA candidate and challenge the governor's record without being constrained by the party under which Mr Sakaja won the seat in 2022.

The contest is already attracting an eclectic collection of aspirants, with Embakasi East MP Babu Owino pursuing the seat through the Mwananchi Party, while Embakasi North MP James Gakuya is associated with the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Within ODM, Mr Sakaja faces a potential nomination contest with Makadara MP George Aladwa, the party's Nairobi chairman, while Kasarani MP Ronald Karauri has also expressed interest in the party's ticket. Former Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru, who is pursuing the Kenya Moja Movement Party platform, and Nairobi County Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria have also been associated with the race. Political analyst Tony Gachoka has also joined the race on the Linda Mwananchi Movement.

The growing list of aspirants means that the race is likely to be shaped as much by party nominations and coalition negotiations as by the candidates' individual political networks, with the ODM contest particularly likely to attract attention given the competing interests of the incumbent and established party figures.

Mr Aladwa has previously maintained that politicians seeking elective positions through ODM must undergo party nominations rather than expect direct tickets, a position that could complicate Mr Sakaja's efforts to secure the party's backing.

The stakes are considerable. Nairobi has approximately 2,743,155 registered voters, according to the latest figures cited in the gubernatorial contest, compared with 2,415,310 in the 2022 General Election. The 2026 Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration exercise added 276,886 new registrations in the county, making Nairobi the country's leading contributor to new voter enrolment during the exercise.

Mr Ruku, however, sought to distinguish his campaign from the ethnic calculations that have historically influenced political contests, arguing that Nairobi's diversity makes it difficult for any one community or political faction to claim ownership of the city.

He said the capital belongs to Kenyans from all communities and that voters are more concerned about the quality of leadership and services than the ethnic background of those seeking office.

"As far as tribal arithmetic is concerned, those are fallacy. Kenyans are very clever. Kenyans, and Nairobi people, are very informed, it is not about tribal politics. The people organizing voters in Nairobi in terms of tribes have no agenda, no idea," he said.

The Cabinet Secretary also took aim at Mr Gachagua's assertion that DCP would dominate the political landscape in the 2027 elections, saying he was prepared to confront the former Deputy President's political machinery in Nairobi.

"This is the same guy that I face in Mbeere North by-election face to face and we defeated him. There is nothing new about him proclaiming big things. We are there to face him squarely. Nairobi County will not elect a pedestrian," he said.

He also sought to distance himself from suggestions that his candidacy would be a project of President William Ruto, insisting that Nairobi residents should have the opportunity to choose a leader based on competing plans for the city rather than political endorsements.

His entry, however, raises questions about how UDA intends to organise its campaign in a county where its former gubernatorial candidate has now joined ODM, while DCP and other political formations are seeking to consolidate their own support bases. UDA is also in a broad-based arrangement with ODM.

Track record 

The candidates will be confronting an electorate whose expectations are largely shaped by the daily experience of living and doing business in the city.

For Mr Sakaja, who secured approximately 699,000 votes in the 2022 election, the central question will be whether his record in office can withstand scrutiny over the delivery of basic services.

Garbage collection, traffic congestion, drainage, healthcare, water access and the management of county revenue are likely to provide the basis for competing assessments of his administration.

The governor's government has reported progress in revenue mobilisation, with Nairobi collecting a record Sh15.399 billion in own-source revenue in the 2025/26 financial year, up from Sh13.8 billion in the previous financial year.

The increase, however, is likely to renew questions about how additional revenue is translating into better services and whether the county has adequate controls over its expenditure.

Waste management, in particular, could become a major battleground. Audit concerns over the cost and verification of garbage collection contracts have raised questions about value for money, with reports indicating that Sh1.7 billion was spent on garbage collection in the 2024/25 financial year, while the Auditor-General flagged unsupported payments and weaknesses in records used to verify services delivered.

Urban planning and building safety could also emerge as defining campaign issues, particularly following repeated concerns over buildings collapsing in parts of the city.

Mr Ruku has promised to streamline approval processes for new developments while accusing the current administration of failing to enforce planning regulations and safeguard residents.

He argues that a capital city should have functioning systems for approving developments, monitoring construction and ensuring that buildings meet safety standards, rather than allowing weaknesses in enforcement to endanger residents.

The entry of Mr Ruku further complicates a race in which party identity and the question of who controls the nomination process could prove as consequential as the individual candidates.

Within ODM, Mr Sakaja's arrival has placed him in a potentially difficult position alongside Mr Aladwa, who has an established party base in Nairobi and has insisted that aspirants should go through competitive nominations. Mr Karauri's interest in the party adds another layer to the contest.

Outside ODM, Mr Owino's Mwananchi Party bid and Mr Gakuya's association with DCP provide alternative political platforms, while Mr Ruku is seeking to establish UDA as a competing option.

Mr Mosiria's entry also adds an insider's perspective to the race, given his experience within the county administration, although he will have to establish his political vehicle and build support beyond his current public service role.

Unlike parliamentary contests, the governor's race requires a much broader coalition of voters, bringing together residents of informal settlements, middle-class estates, business districts and rapidly expanding residential neighbourhoods.

The eventual outcome of party nominations, the choice of running mates and possible pre-election alliances will therefore determine the shape of the ballot, even as the aspirants attempt to distinguish themselves through their proposed solutions to Nairobi's problems.

Mr Ruku dismissed the significance of Mr Sakaja's decision to change parties, arguing that voters should judge the governor on his five-year record rather than the political outfit through which he seeks another term.

"For Sakaja, whether you go to ODM or whichever party, it is about an individual, not the party. Has this individual demonstrated capacity to do things right for the five years that he has been given by the people of Nairobi?" he asked.

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