Former Cabinet Secretary and Economic Advisor to the Government, Moses Kuria, has formally announced his ambition to run for Nairobi governor in 2027, citing President William Ruto’s critique of the city’s state as the reason for his decision.
In a statement posted on his X account, Kuria wrote, “Dear President William Ruto. Today you spoke to my heart. Like Prime Minister Baba Raila Amolo Odinga has told me countless times, Nairobi cannot continue to be the city of filth, garbage, and incompetence. I have heard your cry. That is why I will offer myself to be the Governor of the great County of Nairobi in 2027. I will fix Nairobi.”
His announcement comes on the heels of President Ruto’s October 12, 2025, address during a church service at AIC Ziwani, where he laid out bold plans to restore Nairobi’s dignity.
“The first thing is to clean Nairobi city, it can’t continue to be the city in the filth.”
He added that the national and Nairobi county governments have agreed on three priority fronts: cleaning the city, improving roads, and installing street lighting.
Ruto also confirmed that efforts are underway to finalize a partnership with private sector players to deepen cleanup efforts across all estates. “We are in the final stages of signing an agreement with the private sector on how we are going to clean this city,” he said.
During his address, Ruto also pledged national resources to support Nairobi, insisting, “We must not have mud along our roads. This city will have streetlights so that we make sure that Nairobi is clean, becomes motorable and a city in the light, not in darkness.”
Kuria’s entry positions him directly against the incumbent county leadership, most notably Governor Johnson Sakaja, and frames his campaign as a direct response to Ruto’s public rebuke.
Observers note that Nairobi’s sanitation, waste management, clogged drains, and erratic city services have long been political vulnerabilities. Kuria’s pitch seeks to harness these faults as campaign issues under the banner of turning Ruto’s critique into action on the ground.
As the political drama begins, attention will be on how Governor Sakaja, Nairobi County officials, and coalition actors respond and whether Kuria’s resolve holds beyond bold pronouncements.