Moses Kuria Vows to Challenge Sakaja in 2027, Calls for Ruto’s Backing

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has announced plans to contest the Nairobi gubernatorial seat in 2027, vowing to restore the capital to its former glory as a cleaner and more efficient city.

In a letter addressed to President William Ruto and shared on social media Monday morning, Kuria said the Head of State’s recent remarks about Nairobi inspired his decision.

“Dear President William Ruto. Today you spoke to my heart. Like Prime Minister Baba Raila Amolo Odinga has told me countless times, Nairobi cannot continue to be the city of filth, garbage and incompetence. I have heard your cry. That is why I will offer myself to be the governor of the great county of Nairobi in 2027. I will fix Nairobi,” Kuria wrote.

Kuria’s declaration came a day after President Ruto, during the 70th anniversary of Africa Inland Church (AIC) Ziwani, announced that the national government and Nairobi County had agreed on a joint plan to transform the city. The initiative, he said, would focus on four key areas, including a partnership with the private sector to support a citywide cleanup.

“I sat down with the governor and Nairobi MPs, and we came up with a plan to transform Nairobi since it is the face of the country. We are in the final stages of signing an agreement with the private sector on how we are going to clean our city. It cannot continue the way it is,” Ruto said.

Kuria linked his bid to this initiative, likening it to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) deal that temporarily took over county functions in 2020.

The former Gatundu South MP, who lost the Kiambu gubernatorial race in 2022 before being appointed to the Cabinet, later served as Ruto’s Senior Economic Advisor until his resignation in July.

With his declaration, Kuria joins a growing list of aspirants eyeing the Nairobi governor’s seat, among them Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and former Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera, in an effort to unseat Johnson Sakaja.