With close to a year to the 2027 General Election, some governors serving their second and final terms have already begun positioning their preferred successors and rallying support for their allies.
In some of the counties, the county chiefs are backing political allies who, in return, are supporting their bids for Senate seats.
Among the counties where second-term governors have endorsed their preferred successors are Lamu, Kirinyaga, Bomet, Bungoma, Kitui, Kisumu and Tana River.
Lamu: Timamy backs DG with caveat
Lamu Governor Issa Timamy.
In Lamu, Governor Issa Timamy has not only announced that he will support his deputy for the county's top seat, but has also named a running mate for him.
Mr Timamy is backing his deputy, Dr Mbarak Mohamed Salim, popularly known as Bahjaj, as his preferred successor. He has also unveiled former Lamu MP Julius Ndegwa Kariuki as his running mate.
“These two men, Dr Mbarak Bahjaj and Julius Ndegwa are enough to drive Lamu to the right direction come 2027. Once you elect Dr Bahjaj as governor and Ndegwa his deputy, I will confidently hand over power to them knowing very well that Lamu is in safe hands,” said Mr Timamy while unveiling development projects in his county.
Mr Timamy was first elected governor in 2013 on the defunct UDF ticket but lost the seat to Fahim Twaha in 2017 before making a comeback in 2022 on an ANC ticket.
Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
In Bomet County, Governor Hillary Barchok has teamed up with former county boss Isaac Rutto as the two work to edge out Senator Hillary Sigei from the county's top political leadership in 2027.
Mr Barchok is supporting Mr Rutto's bid to reclaim the governorship, while the former governor, who is a fierce critic of Senator Sigei, is backing Mr Barchok's quest for the Senate seat. Mr Rutto served as governor between 2013 and 2017 before losing to the late Joyce Laboso.
“Now we declare that we will bring back mzee (Rutto). My vote is with you; I can even let you hold onto it now as we await the future (polls). Mzee didn't interfere with my governorship, never bothered me at all and whenever there were issues, he gave me wise counsel and I found it easy to seek advice from him,” said Mr Barchok.
“He who wishes elected leaders well is also fit to lead. Those who cause trouble for the chosen leaders are unfit to lead. For the respect Mzee has shown me, I will also respect and support him for a second term,” said Mr Barchok.
Mr Rutto, on the other hand, has urged Senator Sigei to stop what he describes as a political witch-hunt against Mr Barchok and instead raise legitimate concerns regarding the county's governance.
Governor Dhadho Godana.
Photo credit: File | Nation
Tana River Governor Dhadho Godana, who is seeking the Senate seat against his political rival Senator Danson Mungatana, has publicly endorsed Galole MP Said Hiribae as his preferred successor.
“Said Hiribae will inherit my seat as I go for the senate seat. With what I have done to this county, the only person who can carry on with my legacy is Mr Hiribae,” said Mr Godana.
The two leaders have previously been arrested by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations over clan clashes in the county.
“Many are asking if Hiribae will work as Major Godana. The work of a governor is hard and after taking over governorship, you will have to take this county forward. Prepare well because when I become senator I will be checking on your work as a governor,” he added.
Mr Hiribae has served as Galole MP since 2007. He is expected to face former Governor Hussein Dado, whom Mr Godana of ODM defeated in 2017.
The 2027 race is expected to pit the Mungatana-Dado political camp against the Godana-Hiribae alliance.
In Kirinyaga County, Governor Anne Waiguru has thrown her weight behind Kirinyaga Central MP Gachoki Gitari as the UDA candidate for governor.
Her endorsement has already set the stage for a supremacy battle between the long-serving MP and former Kirinyaga Woman Representative Wangui Ngirici, who is seeking a political comeback after losing to Ms Waiguru in the last election.
“He is the only one who has so far declared his interest in the seat through our party, and I am supporting his bid,” said Ms Waiguru during a meeting between Kirinyaga grassroots leaders and President William Ruto at State House.
Ms Ngirici has since fallen out of favour with the UDA party and is said to be warming up to the opposition.
In Bungoma, Governor Ken Lusaka is rooting for Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, even as a section of leaders pushes for regional balance in the allocation of top county seats in 2027. Like Mr Barasa, Mr Lusaka hails from the populous Kimilili Constituency.
“I have worked and finished my term and I’m going home and Didmus is here, we will elect him because of the work he has done,” said Governor Lusaka during an empowerment programme in Kimilili three weeks ago.
“There are other tourists who were here, we tell them to go away. Where have they come from now they are coming to seek a seat here,” said Mr Lusaka in remarks seemingly directed at Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi and his team, who have shifted political focus from Nairobi to Bungoma.
However, Sirisia MP Major John Waluke, who is backing Mr Wanyonyi, has called for the governorship to rotate to another region, arguing that Kimilili has held the seat for two consecutive terms.
“County leadership should rotate and be shared fairly rather than remain in one region. We have agreed that the governorship should not stay in Kimilili because they have already held it for 10 years,” Mr Waluke, a Jubilee MP, said during an event in Mt Elgon attended by Forestry Cabinet Secretary Deborah Mulongo and Mr Barasa.
In Kisumu, Governor Anyang' Nyong'o has overlooked a host of elected ODM leaders and is instead said to be backing his deputy, Dr Mathews Owili, as his preferred successor.
However, Dr Owili has not mounted as visible a campaign as Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron, who is widely viewed as one of the frontrunners in the race, alongside Senator Tom Ojienda and former Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura.
Sources say Governor Nyong'o is closely monitoring how ODM politics unfolds ahead of the gubernatorial race, but he remains keen on seeing the next governor come from Nyakach, Dr Owili's home constituency.
In Kitui, Governor Julius Malombe wants Senator Enock Wambua to take over after he finishes his term.
"Governor Malombe is right. I will contest the position of Governor of Kitui County on August 10, 2027. And I will win. When I become the governor, I will be more consultative, more accountable, and more accessible," said Mr Wambua.
