NAIROBI, Kenya – Saumu Mbuvi, daughter of former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, has formally entered the race for the Nairobi County Woman Representative seat ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Mbuvi announced that she will seek the position on the National Economic Development Party (NEDP) ticket, positioning her campaign around women, young people and vulnerable families in Nairobi.
Her declaration gives a formal shape to political ambitions she has publicly expressed for several years.
“I am not stepping forward because leadership is a title. I am stepping forward because leadership is a responsibility, a covenant with the people, and an opportunity to turn lived realities into meaningful action,” Mbuvi said in her announcement.
Mbuvi will campaign under the banner “A New Voice for a Brighter Nairobi”, with the slogan “Equal Voices. Real Opportunities. Lasting Change.”
She has identified four main areas for her campaign: education and skills, jobs and enterprise, health and wellbeing, and safety and inclusivity.
On education and skills, Mbuvi says she wants to expand access to training and education opportunities. She has also placed youth unemployment and skills development among the issues she wants to address.
Her jobs and enterprise agenda focuses on supporting women entrepreneurs and creating pathways to decent employment, while her health and wellbeing pillar targets improved access to healthcare services.
She has also pledged to push for a safer and more inclusive Nairobi, particularly for women and vulnerable families.
“My vision is to contribute to a Nairobi where representation translates into results,” she said.
Although Mbuvi’s formal 2027 campaign is now underway, her interest in elective politics is not new.
In March 2021, she publicly announced plans to enter politics and said she intended to contest the Nairobi Woman Representative position.
“I want to join politics like my dad. Actually, I will vie for woman representative the next General Election,” she said at the time.
Her 2021 comments came after her father, Mike Sonko, had left the Nairobi governorship following his impeachment.
Mbuvi said Sonko had equipped her with knowledge that could help her navigate politics. Her early campaign interests included mental health education in schools and access to sanitary towels for schoolgirls.
“I will make sure mental health is taught in all schools,” she said in 2021, while discussing the priorities she would pursue if elected.
She also said, “Sanitary pads have to be given out for free,” as she outlined her interest in issues affecting schoolgirls.
Mbuvi had also participated in student politics before publicly declaring her intention to pursue an elective seat. She served as vice chair of the students’ union at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology’s Karen Campus between 2015 and 2016.
Mbuvi’s announcement does not automatically secure her a place on the ballot.
The NEDP has stated that aspirants seeking elective positions on its ticket must go through party primaries. The party has ruled out direct nominations, meaning Mbuvi will have to compete with other aspirants for the opportunity to carry the party’s ticket in Nairobi.
