ROYSAMBU, Kenya – Kenyan freestyle skating champion Kevin Kiarie Ruhiu has declared his bid for the Roysambu parliamentary seat in the August 10, 2027, General Election, pledging to champion young people, defend athletes and improve representation in the Nairobi constituency.
Kiarie announced his political ambitions on Monday, October 12, 2026, saying he would contest on a Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) ticket.
“Today I would like to reaffirm the promise I made to the people of Roysambu Constituency. I promised to offer myself to serve; that commitment still stands strong and unshaken,” he said in his declaration, as reported by K24 Digital.
The athlete said he wanted to address challenges facing residents and unlock opportunities in business, education, infrastructure and healthcare. He described Roysambu as a cosmopolitan constituency with significant potential that he believes remains untapped.
“Roysambu is a cosmopolitan with immense potential in business, education, infrastructure, and proper healthcare, yet it is undiscovered,” he said.
Kiarie also placed youth empowerment and sports advocacy at the centre of his declaration, drawing on his experience competing internationally and his public disagreements with sports officials over funding and travel support.
“There are plenty of opportunities for our youths here in Kenya more than anywhere else in the world, and I shall stand to defend my fellow athletes without fear,” he said.
He promised to protect young people’s ambitions and address what he described as systems that prevent residents from achieving their goals.
“When elected as Roysambu Constituency MP on August 10, 2027, I shall serve, I shall deliver, I will protect the dreams of our hardworking youths and my fellow constituents from being shattered by broken systems,” he said.
Kiarie further pledged to represent residents without discrimination, saying he wanted to give the constituency a stronger voice.
“I will give Roysambu a voice we haven’t had for so long. I have been supported by Kenyans from every corner of this country, and when elected, I will serve all without discrimination,” he added.
Kiarie rose to national prominence in early 2026 through freestyle skating competitions, where he won medals despite raising concerns about the financial challenges of representing Kenya internationally.
In April, he competed at the International Skating Challenge in Cotonou, Benin, where he won gold in the freestyle battle category and silver in classic slalom. He later competed at the African Skating Championships in Cairo, Egypt, adding to his achievements and drawing further attention to the sport.
His journey attracted public interest partly because he spoke openly about the difficulties of securing support for international competitions. Well-wishers also rallied behind him as he sought resources to travel and compete.
The achievements brought attention to the challenges athletes in less-established sporting disciplines face when trying to access funding, travel arrangements and institutional support.
Kiarie’s political announcement follows months of public disagreements with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports over support for his competitions.
The latest dispute centred on his absence from the 2026 World Skate Games in Asunción, Paraguay, which began on October 2. Kiarie accused officials of failing to provide the travel and visa assistance he needed to attend the event.
The ministry disputed his account, saying officials had engaged with him after his concerns emerged publicly. It said his original travel itinerary had lapsed and that officials requested an updated itinerary while advising him to consider alternative travel routes.
The ministry’s account differed from Kiarie’s allegations, leaving the dispute over the assistance he required unresolved in public statements.
The Kenya Federation of Roller Skating also questioned his official status, with its president, Anthony Mburu, saying on October 9 that Kiarie was not registered with or affiliated to the federation. Mburu said the federation had not authorised a skater to represent Kenya at the World Skate Games.
Kiarie joins a group of aspirants seeking the Roysambu seat in the next General Election. Those interested include incumbent MP Augustine Kamande Kamau of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), former MP Isaac Waihenya Ndirangu of DCP and nominated MP Sabina Chege of Jubilee.
Other contenders include independent aspirant Moses Mwenda, Dr Faith Mwaura, who is associated with UDA, and social media personality Raymond Omosa, popularly known as Kenyan Prince.
