Sakaja run for governor opens field for Nairobi Senate race

Senator Johnson Sakaja is eying the Nairobi governor's seat, opening the way for Senate spirants.

They include gospel singer Rufftone (Roy Smith Mwatia), Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, lawyer Karen Nyamu and ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna.

Also seeking the governorship are Westlands legislator Tim Wanyonyi, former Starehe MP Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, KNCCI chairman Richard Ngatia and businesswoman Agnes Kagure.

Rufftone said the time is ripe for him to join politics, but he didn't say which party he would join.

“You are looking at the new incoming Nairobi Senator, Mr. Roy Smith Mwatia. I will be vying in 2022,” Rufftone added.

He is the goodwill Ambassador for the Public Diplomacy of the Republic of Korea, a graphic designer, and also the founder of Lampstand Music Record. 

 Rufftone started his musical career as a secular artist in 1999 but later in 2001, he crossed over to do gospel music. 

He is the brother of Owen Mwatia, popularly known as Daddy Owen, who is also a gospel artist.

Karen Nyamu

Nairobi-based lawyer Karen Nyamu has also shown interest in becoming Sakaja’s successor runnng on the UDA ticket.

"I was honored to be officially endorsed by UDA party to contest for Senate position. We fully support Dr William Samoei Ruto's vision to change our economic model in the interest of Kenyans. Mpango ni Bottom Up!” Nyamu  said

She had contested forWomen Representative in 2017  on the Jubilee Party ticket but lost to Esther Pasaris

All this time, Nyamu has been working at her law firm Njeri Nyamu & Co Advocates.

In 2019, she was shortlisted among four women who were likely to deputise Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.

Later that year, Nyamu was appointed to the Nairobi City County Water and Sewerage Board.

Sonko also proposed Nyamu’s name to the County Assembly for vetting for the County Executive Officer for Agriculture.

However, her name never made it to the floor of the house.

Apart from the political scene, Nyamu has been in the limelight due to her involvement with Kikuyu musician Samuel Muchoki alias Samidoh.

Edwin Sifuna

The vocal, outspoken ODM) secretarygeneral Edwin Sifuna has also joined the race to become Nairobi’s third senator.O on the ODM ticket, of course.

This will be his second attempt having lost the last one to Jubilee’s Johnson Sakaja in 2017.

It will be the third time the lawyer will be running for political office.

In 2017, Sifuna was defeated in the Kanduyi constituency ODM primaries by lawyer John Makali who lost during the general election to Ford Kenya candidate Wafula Wamunyinyi.

Sifuna, who has the ear of his party leader Raila Odinga, has been in the political throughout, propelling Azimio la Umoja and the Building Bridges Initiative.

Nairobi businessman and politician George Kamano has also shown interest in the senatorial seat.

In the last general elections, he had contested for the Nairobi West sard t on the Jubilee Party ticket, coming third after ODM’s Maurice Gari who won the seat.

However, Kamano now seeks a higher position.

“My vision and a dream to change Nairobi and position it as a global leader that attracts investors from all around the globe,” he said.

Come next year as party nominations near, the race is likely to get intense with more people expressing interest.

(Edited by V. Graham)