The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Former Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha and former Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa have officially declared their intention to challenge George Natembeya for the Trans Nzoia governor’s seat.
The two leaders made the announcement on Saturday after meeting members of the Luhya community to seek their backing.
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Wamalwa, quoting a Swahili proverb about the wisdom of elders and a Bible verse on unity, said he had begun consultations to build support for his bid.
“Today was just about dialogue. We know Trans Nzoia is cosmopolitan, and we will be inclusive,” he said, explaining why they first met with representatives from one community. He noted that he chose to begin with his community because it forms a significant voting bloc in the county.
He added that his journey to becoming Trans Nzoia’s next governor had officially begun and that he would soon reach out to all residents.
Nakhumicha said she had received her clan’s blessing to abandon her Woman Representative plans and instead vie for the county’s top seat.
“I want to thank you for the new direction you have given me. From today, I walk as a leader of the entire Trans Nzoia, not just Sitatunga Ward or Cherangany Constituency. You have released me from the Woman Rep race and advised me to seek the governorship,” she said.
She added that the Constitution gives every Kenyan—regardless of gender—the right to run for any elective position.
Both aspirants, who are affiliated with Kenya Kwanza, will have to face off for the Ford Kenya ticket as they attempt to dethrone Natembeya of the Tawe Movement.
Natembeya, now in his first term, recently dropped his presidential ambitions to focus on defending his seat on a DAP-K ticket. A vocal critic of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, he has been touring the Western region, accusing both Wetang’ula and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi of abandoning their community despite their senior government positions.
Nakhumicha’s move—she currently serves as Kenya’s permanent representative to UN-Habitat—is widely seen as part of Wetang’ula’s strategy to counter the rising influence of Natembeya.
In the 2022 elections, Natembeya defied the Kenya Kwanza wave and won the governorship with 158,919 votes, defeating Wamalwa, who garnered 79,020.
