Justina Wamae: More presidential aspirants will deepen Kenya’s democracy
By Kiprono Keileb, October 5, 2025Former Roots Party running mate Justina Wamae has voiced her support for the growing list of Kenyans declaring interest in the presidency, saying it is a sign of a maturing democracy and a shift toward issue-based politics.
In a statement shared on her X account on Sunday, October 5, 2025, Wamae said she hopes the increasing number of presidential aspirants will transition into actual candidates, arguing that diversity in leadership choices strengthens democracy rather than weakens it.
“I’m of the view that we need even MORE Kenyans who want to vie for the presidency to do so,” she said.
She dismissed claims that having many presidential candidates would automatically hand victory to the incumbent, saying that reasoning is both false and condescending to the intelligence of Kenyan voters.
“The counterargument being that more presidential candidates will give the incumbent a direct win is null and void,” she stated.
“Because this argument assumes that WaKenya ni wajinga sana and are incapable of making the right choice; hence, they should be limited in the number of presidential aspirants or candidates. That definitely is the opposite of democracy,” Wamae said.
Wamae noted that multiple presidential candidates would enrich political competition and give Kenyans a chance to evaluate leaders based on their ideas rather than ethnic or partisan loyalties.
“Having many presidential candidates will allow Kenyans to engage their thinking capacity while evaluating the policy proposals that will make life easier for them,” she said.
She added that such competition would move the country away from personality-driven politics and toward people-centred leadership that focuses on service delivery, policy, and legislative proposals designed to take Kenya forward.
“Thereby, shifting our politics from politicians to people-centred service delivery and policy and legislative proposals that will take Kenya forward,” Wamae emphasised.
Her comments come at a time when more political figures and activists are expressing interest in the 2027 presidential race, signalling what could be one of Kenya’s most competitive elections yet.
By calling for broader participation, Wamae positions herself among leaders pushing for a more open and idea-driven political environment, one that trusts Kenyans to think critically and make informed choices at the ballot.