Passaris: I want Governor Wanga to be the president of Kenya in 2032

Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has hinted at potentially challenging Governor Johnson Sakaja in the 2027 gubernatorial election. During a women’s retreat in Nairobi on October 13, 2026, Passaris warned Sakaja to improve his administration’s performance, threatening to enter the race if the broad-based formation risks losing the Nairobi seat to the opposition.

She emphasized the need for Nairobi to deliver tangible results rather than just empty promises. Passaris also highlighted the under-representation of women in top leadership positions in Nairobi, attributing some of the city’s governance challenges to this issue. She noted that the number of elected women MCAs in Nairobi has dropped from five in 2017 to four in 2022, and only one woman has been elected to represent Nairobi’s 17 constituencies in Parliament in both the 2017 and 2022 General Elections.

Passaris has previously signaled interest in the Makadara parliamentary seat and endorsed Karen Nyamu as a potential successor for the Nairobi Woman Representative position, but later indicated a possible return to seeking the Woman Representative role before her latest comments about possibly running for governor. With several politicians, including Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, and veteran politician Tony Gachoka, positioning themselves to challenge Sakaja, the 2027 Nairobi gubernatorial race is shaping up to be a competitive contest.