Ex-Health CS Nakhumicha declares bid to unseat Natembeya in 2027 polls

Health CS Susan Nakhumicha during the flag-off of the asset verification process at Afya House ahead of the transition to the Social Health Authority (SHA) on May 13, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Stakes are high for the 2027 Trans Nzoia gubernatorial race following the entry of former Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha.

Governor George Natembeya’s main challenger in the 2022 election, Chris Wamalwa, is in the race, as is Kiminini MP Maurice Bisau.

On Saturday, Dr Nakhumicha, Kenya’s Permanent Representative to UN-Habitat, declared her interest in the seat and vowed to give Natembeya and other contestants a run for their money.

Nakhumicha made the announcement at Stovar Farm in Kiminini Constituency during the burial of retired senior chief Geoffrey Jomo Mutoka.

She said she was not interested in the county women’s representative seat, insisting that she was going for the governor’s position.

Boasting of having influenced the allocation of Sh600 million to finance various development programmes in Trans Nzoia during her tenure as CS, Nakhumicha asked the local electorate to consider her bid for the county’s top seat.

“At least, on account of my presence in the national government, over Sh600 million was allocated to various projects such as Matunda Sub-County Hospital, Kitale Medical Training College (KMTC), and infrastructure development in some schools in Kiminini. I am above the county women’s representative seat and I ask you to support my bid for governor,” she said.

Warning of a bruising political battle, Nakhumicha said she was prepared to face male contestants for the coveted seat.

“I am prepared to face the men jostling for the seat. I have all it takes to clinch the seat,” she stated.

Nakhumicha lost to Lilian Siyoi in last year’s election after coming third behind Phanice Khatundi. After the polls, she was picked for the Cabinet but later sacked during the G-Z protests.

She is a close political confidant of the Speaker of the National Assembly and is likely to secure the Ford Kenya (FK) ticket.

Politics played out during Mutoka’s burial, with Sikhendu Member of County Assembly Andrew Kutitila accusing some local politicians of working with external forces to have Natembeya impeached.

“We cannot allow our own people to be used by external forces to influence the impeachment of the governor. We are aware of their scheme to frustrate him and we are going to stand with him,” Kutitila told mourners, who included Bisau.

Dr Wamalwa and Bisau are already engaged in early campaigns.

Nakhumicha’s announcement comes in the wake of a political plot by some Kenya Kwanza leaders to cut down the growing popularity of Governor Natembeya.

A source told The Standard that President Ruto and Moses Wetang’ula are working on strategies to dislodge Natembeya from his position in the next polls after a recent scheme to silence him failed.

“After they realised the scheme to silence him by implicating him in corruption failed, they are now working on a strategy to field a candidate to challenge Natembeya in the next polls,” said a close confidant of one of the gubernatorial aspirants.