Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has made an emotional appeal to the electorate to save her from the one-term governor jinx that has befallen her predecessors since 2013, saying it has slowed development in the county.
In an unprecedented appeal over the weekend, Ms Kihika broke her silence, pleading with the electorate to end the "Wantam" (one term) pattern and re-elect her in next year's General Election.
Speaking at an empowerment event at the Soilo Agriculture Training Centre (ATC) in Nakuru City, the governor said she was doing her best to boost development in the cosmopolitan county.
According to the county chief, frequent changes in administration have negatively impacted the consistency of development programmes in the region.
“There has been a trend where Nakuru elects governors only for one term. I want to plead with you to break the pattern and support my bid for a second term so that I can complete the development projects that my administration has initiated. I know the good people of Nakuru will support my bid for a second term. I know you will vote for me again, because I have worked well with you and I have not offended you; my administration is really trying hard to make Nakuru a great county," stated Governor Kihika.
She pleaded for a second term, 'to ensure consistency and progress.'
“I am working hard and doing my best to ensure that I earn your trust and confidence ahead of next year's General Election. I know this time round you will re-elect me as your Governor,” added Ms Kihika.
“The reason why sometimes Nakuru has lagged in terms of development is electing Governors for only one term," she added.
Two of her predecessors since the advent of devolution-Kinuthia Mbugua and Lee Kinyanjui were not lucky to retain their seats for the second and final terms as per the Constitution.
Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group
First Governor Kinuthia Mbugua, who served between 2013 and 2017, was trounced by Lee Kinyanjui, the current Trade and Investment Cabinet Secretary, after serving for only one term.
In the hotly contested 2022 election, Mr Kinyanjui was also beaten by Susan Kihika, who became the third governor of Nakuru.
Ten months to the 2027 General Election, Governor Kihika is walking a tightrope, fighting to break the one-term curse that befell her predecessors, amid unfolding political realignments, likely to influence her re-election.
In the past months, Governor Kihika has been actively navigating fast-changing political realignments, including a backlash from a section of local politicians, especially those drawn from the Kalenjin community- the second-largest in the county- with whom she fell out after a brief ceasefire.
At the centre of the fallout are wrangles between the governor and MPs over 'alleged sidelining' of their regions in her administration, as well as differences over claims that the county boss was grooming her picks to unseat them.
Nakuru, a cosmopolitan county, has huge pockets of Kalenjins and Kikuyus. Other communities include Luos, Luhyas, Kisiis, Kambas, Maasais, among others.
However, despite Nakuru being a cosmopolitan county, two populous communities, the Kalenjin (Kipsigis and Tugen) and the Kikuyu, determine who becomes the governor, senator and Woman Representative in the region.
Despite an evident wave of Rigathi Gachagua's Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), sweeping through the cosmopolitan county and threatening her re-election, Governor Kihika has stuck with President William Ruto and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.
Interestingly, the majority of the UDA-elected MPs in Nakuru have not been in a cordial relationship with Ms Kihika, who was also elected on the President Ruto- led party ticket.
In public, only David Gikaria (Nakuru East-UDA), Kuria Kimani (UDA-Molo), Irene Njoki (Bahati-Jubilee) and Samuel Arama (Nakuru West-Jubilee) are currently on good terms with Governor Kihika.
Martha Wangari (Gilgil) has been lukewarm in her relationship with the county boss, who is said to be fronting a senior county official to challenge her in the 2027 polls.
Rongai MP Paul Chebor, who was the first to part ways with Ms Kihika, has previously criticised her for giving the Kalenjin community a raw deal in her appointments of key officers to her administration.
Former Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Then there are those who feel Ms Kihika is grooming her allies, some of them members of her cabinet, to unseat them in the 2027 polls.
Currently, Ms Kihara is working with former Deputy President and Democracy for Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua.
Senator Tabitha Karanja Keroche has also fallen out with Governor Kihika and announced her bid for the Governor seat on a DCP ticket.
In the past two years, Senator Keroche has been critical of Governor Kihika's leadership.
However, Kihika maintains that her administration has outperformed her predecessors and that she deserves a second term.
Already, Governor Kihika faces a formidable challenge from current Trade Cabinet Secretary and former Governor Lee Kinyanjui, who is reportedly assembling his arsenal to make a comeback for the county's top job.
Expectations that Kinyanjui will attempt to make a comeback have already sent jitters among key contenders, as that would greatly alter the political matrix.
Rigathi Gachagua's Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) has also fronted Former National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Mwangi to unseat Ms Kihika.
Although several other candidates have either declared their candidacy or signalled their intent to unseat Kihika, Mr Kinyanjui and Mr Mwangi are seen by political observers as frontrunners.
Other notable contenders are former Nakuru County Assembly Speaker Joel Kairu and the county's inaugural Senator James Mungai.
Despite the growing popularity of DCP in Nakuru, Kihika has remained confident that she will survive the Gachagua wave and retain her seat.
Political pundits warn that the political differences between Ms Kihika and MPs, especially those drawn from the Kalenjin voting bloc, may jeopardise her bid to recapture the governor's seat in 2027.
“The Kalenjin voting bloc is very important and determines who becomes governor, senator or Woman Representative in Nakuru. Governor Kihika should mend fences with the MPs and leaders from the region as the clock ticks towards the 2027 polls," Lawyer and political analyst Steve Kabita told the Nation.
Another political analyst, David Ngugi, warned that Kihika risks being isolated because she is currently feeling the heat of Democracy for Citizens Party Leader Gachagua.
“Governor Kihika, being a supporter of President William Ruto in Nakuru, must tread carefully, not to lose the Kalenjin voting bloc. Already she is in crosshairs with Gachagua, and that already may dent her political muscle," he warned.
Ms Kihika won the hearts of thousands of voters in the 2022 General Election, who overwhelmingly voted for her to beat her predecessor Lee Kinyanjui.
She garnered 440,707 votes against Mr Kinyanjui's 225,623, to become the third Nakuru governor and the first woman county boss in the devolved unit.
The vocal county boss, who started off as Nakuru County Assembly Speaker, rose to become Senator before she was elected as the third governor of the cosmopolitan county.
