Susan Kihika backs Nakuru East MP Gikaria for Senate seat in 2027
By Mabonga Makhanu, August 16, 2025Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has openly endorsed Nakuru East MP David Gikaria for the senatorial race in 2027, setting the stage for an early political showdown in the county.
The announcement was made on Saturday, August 16, 2025, during a meeting in Nakuru Town, where the MP hosted opinion leaders from across the county. The governor, who has been at loggerheads with the current senator, Tabitha Keroche, declared her full support for Gikaria to challenge the incumbent in the upcoming elections.
Kihika expressed strong confidence in Gikaria’s political strength, citing his record of being elected for three consecutive terms as the Member of Parliament for Nakuru East. She emphasised that if he had chosen to contest for a fourth term in the constituency, he would have still secured victory.
According to her, this track record of popularity makes the senatorial race an even easier battle for him.
Her endorsement was met with loud cheers from the gathering, prompting Gikaria to rise and acknowledge the crowd. Kihika used the moment to rally the audience, asking whether the MP was ready to represent the entire county in the Senate. The crowd responded in unison, affirming their support for his candidature.
The governor further urged Gikaria to begin focusing beyond Nakuru East, saying that his constituents had already released him to traverse the rest of the county in search of wider support. She insisted that his solid voter base in Nakuru East was already assured, giving him the freedom to consolidate backing from other constituencies.
“Huyu ashabeba, anatosha hatoshi, atoke east sasa aende atafute kwingine, mmemrelease, nimekuombea permission watupee tu uende utafute kwingine hapa ushajaza,” Kihika said.
Kihika also used the meeting to seek support for her own reelection bid in 2027. She reminded the audience that in the last general election she managed to win in every constituency except Nakuru West.
She explained that her loss in that constituency was mainly due to the sitting MP, Samuel Arama, who was aligned with the Jubilee Party at the time and campaigned for her rival, Lee Kinyanjui.
With Arama now backing her, she told the gathering that securing a second term as governor would be easier.
“Mwenye nilikuwa na shida mbaya na yeye ni mheshimiwa Arama, because out of the 11 constituencies ni kwa Arama tu sikupita, na sasa niko na yeye nitaanguka kweli,” she added.
Pleading for chance
The governor further challenged residents to reflect on the trend of county leadership since the advent of devolution. She noted that Nakuru has never had a governor successfully complete two terms in office, unlike other counties.
At the same time, she pointed out that other elective seats, such as MPs, have seen candidates serve multiple terms, with some winning three terms consecutively.
She questioned why the governor’s seat remained an exception and urged the people of Nakuru to consider breaking that cycle by supporting her for a second term.