Omtatah: I’m running for president to confront Kenya’s existential crisis
By Cy Muganda, August 5, 2025Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has revealed his motivation for running for president in the 2027 General Election, saying the country is facing an existential crisis that requires bold and principled leadership.
Speaking during an interview on a local media station on August 5, 2025, the outspoken senator and civil rights activist insisted that his decision is driven by duty, not ambition.
“I am not running for president because I think there is a vacuum or because I want a job. I am running for president because I feel there is a job to be done. We are facing an existential threat as a country,” he stated.
Omtatah explained that his presidential vision is grounded in the ideals expressed in the national anthem and the Constitution, asserting that these two documents provide a moral and legal framework for a better Kenya.
“I have a vision that is in the national anthem—the Swahili version. When you look at it, it has got a very clear vision of what this country should look like,” Omtatah reiterated.
He identified the Constitution as the essential tool for achieving this vision.
“The mission to that vision is the constitution,” he remarked.
Feasibility of his bid
Omtatah further revealed that he commissioned a presidential exploratory committee last year, which has so far visited 31 counties to assess the feasibility of his bid.
“I appointed a presidential exploratory committee last year. They are going around counties; they have done 31 counties. Their preliminary reports so far are positive,” he disclosed.
“When the report comes out by October, hopefully, I should be able to answer that question either in the affirmative or in the negative, but so far things look like I am going to be vying for the presidency,” he added.