The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has abandoned her earlier bid to contest the Makadara parliamentary seat, announcing instead that she will seek re-election to her current position in the 2027 General Election.
Passaris made the announcement on Saturday via a post on X, marking yet another shift in her political plans ahead of the upcoming polls. She declared that, with 353 days remaining, she would be defending her seat as Nairobi County Woman Representative.
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The announcement reverses an earlier decision in which Passaris had said she would not seek another term in the position. In November 2025, she had publicly stated her intention to step away from the affirmative action seat come 2027, later shifting her focus to the Makadara parliamentary seat, which she formally declared interest in as of February 2026.
At the time, Passaris explained that she had weighed her options before settling on Makadara, saying she believed she could make a meaningful contribution to the constituency’s development. Her decision followed consultations with party colleagues and consideration of other Nairobi constituencies, including Westlands, before she ultimately chose Makadara.
She noted that the political landscape in Makadara had shifted after incumbent MP George Aladwa signaled his intention to run for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat instead. Passaris explained that Aladwa had initially planned to contest a seat in Vihiga but later changed course, informing her that he would instead pursue the Nairobi governorship — a development that appeared to open the door for her move into constituency politics.
Her latest announcement, however, reverses that plan and places her back in contention for the Nairobi Woman Representative seat.
Passaris has held the position since 2017, having first won the seat in that year’s general election and successfully defending it in 2022. The seat is reserved for women under Kenya’s constitutional affirmative action framework, designed to boost women’s representation in the National Assembly.
Her latest decision comes amid a growing pool of aspirants who have already expressed interest in contesting the seat in 2027.
