"Is there any problem if I vie and get elected here in Nairobi?" With that question to a crowd in South B, a sitting Cabinet Secretary has thrown the race for City Hall wide open.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has declared interest in the Nairobi governor's seat in the 2027 General Election, setting the stage for a possible showdown with Governor Johnson Sakaja. He spoke on Tuesday, November 3, while addressing residents of South B, according to the Star, the Standard and Kenyans.co.ke.

'Nairobi is for all Kenyans'

Ruku said the capital needs a leader with integrity, vision and strong leadership skills who can tackle its long-standing problems and unlock its economic potential.

"Nairobi is for all Kenyans, is the capital city of our country, and must be led as such. This is the hub of East Africa and the greater East and Central Business Hub," he said.

He pointed to his record in elective politics to answer anyone who might see him as an outsider. "You people know very well that I was previously an elected leader. Is there any problem if I vie and get elected here in Nairobi? Am I not able to lead this county?" he asked.

Before joining the Cabinet, Ruku was the MP for Mbeere North in Embu County, elected in 2022 on a Democratic Party of Kenya ticket. He was nominated to the Cabinet in March 2025 and, after vetting, took over the Public Service docket from Justin Muturi.

A shake-up in the capital

His announcement comes in a week of upheaval in Nairobi politics. Sakaja has left President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), and on Tuesday he was received at the party's Chungwa House headquarters by ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga and deputy party leader Simba Arati. Sakaja has said the move does not mean he has stopped supporting Ruto's re-election.

With the incumbent now in ODM, the question of who carries the UDA flag in the capital has suddenly become live. Other names in the conversation include:

  • Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, through the Linda Mwananchi movement
  • Embakasi North MP James Gakuya
  • Kasarani MP Ronald Karauri

What it means

Under the law, a Cabinet Secretary must leave office before contesting an elective seat, and Ruku has not said when he will step down. It is also not yet clear which party ticket he will seek; one outlet reported he is targeting UDA, but he did not say so in the remarks carried by most media.

For Nairobi voters, the contest is shaping up around familiar complaints: garbage, roads, housing, health and the cost of doing business in the city. Ruku has made his pitch. The bigger question is whether the ruling party will back him against a governor who still says he is in Ruto's corner.

Photos: Kenyans.co.ke. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.