Njuki declares for Senate as Tharaka Nithi’s 2027 race takes shape
The Mt Kenya Times 
Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki addresses residents during a past function in the county. Njuki, who is serving his second term as governor, has now declared his intention to contest the Tharaka Nithi senatorial seat in the 2027 General Election.
The outgoing governor enters a field already crowded with aspirants, setting up a direct contest with his predecessor
By Dennis Mutua
Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki yesterday formally declared his intention to contest the county’s senatorial seat in the 2027 General Election, bringing significant weight to a race that was already drawing interest from across the county.
Njuki, who is serving his second and final term as governor, made the announcement while addressing residents during the distribution of free certified seeds at Kamwimbi in Igambang’ombe Ward. He said residents had long been pressing him to seek the Senate seat, and that he was now making his intentions unambiguous.
“I want to become a senator who will make a difference — championing the interests of Tharaka Nithi at the national level and ensuring the county benefits from resources and development programmes from the national government,” Njuki said. He also directed an unmistakable message at political players who had not factored him into their 2027 calculations, telling them his declaration had now settled the matter.
Njuki used the occasion to rally residents behind the re-election of President William Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, urging voters to base their decisions on leaders’ performance rather than political rivalry. He argued that a Kindiki presidency after 2027 would place Tharaka Nithi in a strong position to attract national development resources.
His entry puts him in direct competition with former Tharaka Nithi Governor Samuel Mbae Ragwa, who is seeking the same seat. Njuki was pointed in his assessment of Ragwa’s record, questioning what the former governor had to show for his time in office and suggesting that Ragwa’s reported intention to contest whichever seat Njuki pursued revealed an ambivalence about the Senate position itself. If Ragwa simply wanted an elective seat, Njuki argued, the governor’s race — now open with his own departure — would have been the more logical choice.
Other aspirants who have expressed interest in the seat include Igambang’ombe MCA Njeru Ing’ara, Muthambi MCA Morris Maugu and John Marete, who is seeking the position on a Wiper party ticket. The field is taking shape against the backdrop of a significant shift by incumbent Senator Mwenda Gataya, who has redirected his political focus toward the Tharaka parliamentary seat, leaving the senatorial contest without a defending champion.
With Njuki now officially in the race and Gataya stepping aside, the 2027 Senate contest is expected to intensify sharply as aspirants move to consolidate support across Tharaka, Maara and Chuka/Igambang’ombe constituencies.
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