Some former governors who lost their seats in 2022 have declared their interest in recapturing them in the upcoming polls. However, some of them might fail to make a successful comeback due to various reasons. Three of them are Lee Kinyanjui, Wickliffe Wangamati and Nderitu Muriithi.
1. Lee Kinyanjui
The Cabinet Secretary for Trade served as the governor of Nakuru County between 2017 and 2022. He then lost the seat in the 2022 General Election on a Jubilee Party ticket to Susan Kihika, who vied on a UDA ticket.
Currently, both Lee and Kihika are on the same political side. At the same time, Nakuru is currently largely in the opposition. This is because the majority of the Kikuyu, who are the dominant community in Nakuru, seem to be behind former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
If Gachagua fronts a candidate for the Nakuru gubernatorial seat, the majority of the Kikuyu could vote for that candidate. Lee and Susan might also split the votes among the minority ethnic groups in the county. This could give Gachagua’s candidate an upper hand in the race.
2. Wickliffe Wangamati
He served as the second governor of Bungoma County after winning the seat in 2017. He then lost it in 2022 to Kenneth Lusaka, whom he had unseated in 2017. Wangamati will face stiff competition from Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa and Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi, who are also frontrunners for the seat.
Currently, Bungoma is split into two factions, with one supporting National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and the other aligning with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna. Both Wangamati and Wanyonyi are in Sifuna’s camp. On the other hand, Didmus is on Wetang’ula’s side and is aligned with the government.
There is a possibility that Wanyonyi and Wangamati could split the votes of Sifuna’s supporters, while Didmus consolidates the government-aligned electorate. This could give the Kimilili MP an advantage in the race.
3. Nderitu Muriithi
He also lost his Laikipia gubernatorial seat in the 2022 General Election. Just like Nakuru, Laikipia is also cosmopolitan, but the Kikuyu account for more than half of its population.
Nderitu is currently aligned with the government, while most of the Kikuyu are perceived to be behind Gachagua. It could therefore be difficult for him to defeat the candidate endorsed by Gachagua, who could be former Woman Representative Cate Waruguru.