Former Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera has abandoned his bid for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat, announcing he will instead contest the Makadara Constituency parliamentary seat in the 2027 General Election under the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP).
In a formal statement dated August 18, 2026, Nyakera said the decision followed consultations with his political mentors and, more significantly, a direct appeal from residents of Makadara asking him to come home and represent them.
“After consultations with my political mentors, and more importantly, after listening to the people of Makadara who have asked me to come home and offer myself as their Member of Parliament, I have made the decision to shift my political focus from the Nairobi gubernatorial race to Makadara Constituency,” he said.
Before making the announcement public, Nyakera travelled to Wamunyoro with a delegation from Makadara to seek the blessing of DCP Party leader and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at his rural home.
“Today, together with a delegation from Makadara, I visited H.E. Rigathi Gachagua at his Wamunyoro home. I thank him for being my political mentor, for his guidance and counsel, and for warmly receiving us. I am especially grateful for his blessings as I embark on this new journey to become the next Member of Parliament for Makadara Constituency under the DCP Party,” Nyakera stated.
The Makadara seat is currently held by ODM Nairobi branch chairman George Aladwa, who has already declared his intention to run for governor, leaving the parliamentary seat open for contest.
Nyakera’s exit from the governor’s race narrows the DCP field in Nairobi, where Embakasi North MP James Gakuya remains in the running and is positioning himself as the party’s likely flagbearer for the governorship against incumbent Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Gakuya is also expected to face off against Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who has expressed interest in the Nairobi governorship under the Linda Mwananchi faction, though his party vehicle for the contest remains unclear amid ongoing ODM wrangles.
