Ex-Health CS Nakhumicha to Challenge Governor Natembeya in 2027 Polls

Two senior Kenya Kwanza politicians, former Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha and ex-Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa, have declared they will challenge Governor George Natembeya for the Trans Nzoia governorship.

Their announcement followed a meeting with representatives of the Luhyia community, one of the county’s largest voting blocs. Wamalwa described the forum as the start of wider consultations with residents and said his campaign would engage all communities in the county. He said that his bid for the governorship had formally begun.

Nakhumicha, now Kenya’s permanent representative to UN-Habitat, said her clan had urged her to drop her plan to run for Woman Representative and instead pursue the county’s top seat. She noted that the Constitution guarantees every Kenyan the right to seek leadership, regardless of gender, and framed her decision as both a personal shift and a commitment to democratic principles.

Both aspirants are expected to seek the Ford Kenya ticket, setting up an internal contest to determine who will face Natembeya, who is defending his seat on a DAP–K ticket. Natembeya, a former regional administrator, won the 2022 election with 158,919 votes, defeating Wamalwa’s 79,020, despite a strong Kenya Kwanza showing in the North Rift.

He has since abandoned earlier indications of a presidential run and is focusing on re-election. The governor has positioned himself as a critic of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, accusing them of failing to advance the Western region’s interests despite their senior roles in government.

His stance has unsettled some Kenya Kwanza allies, and Nakhumicha’s entry is widely viewed as part of Wetang’ula’s effort to counter Natembeya’s growing political influence.