Is Susan Kihika a one term governor?

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In 2022 General Election, Nakuru county made a first in politics when it voted an all female ensemble of a trio compromising the governor, senator and woman representative. Some constituencies had female legislators and members of county assemblies. This led to coinage of the moniker Nakuru Girls to describe the rise of females in politics.

  Interesting, despite the all female brigade in high echelon of the county's politics, many felt it wasn't enough to meet the two thirds gender rule prescribed in the constitution as the bicameral parliament had a high male representation, same with counties, where in the 47 counties in the geographical Kenya, there are majority male county bosses than there are females.

  Of interest, since the coming of devolution, Nakuru county had produced one term governors. All have been elected on the political wave of the day. The current governor, Susan Kihika, is gearing to break the jink of the one term governor as she eyes her second term in 2027 elections.

 
Her great political nemesis is current senator, Tabitha Karanja, fondly known as Keroche, a name derived from her beer making company. The latter had vowed to unseat the former in what is shaping up as a female only contest. Though Lee Kinyanjui, the second county governor, is said to be angling for a comeback, he's not likely to be reelected having joined the government as a cabinet secretary, with many opining he benefited from the deadly Gen Z protests of 2024. Given that Ms Kihika is a president William Ruto loyalist, the president is likely to keep Mr Kinyanjui in his government and thus limiting his political activities on ground which will see the incumbent governor having a ground advantage. Other aspirants to the Nakuru gubernatorial race are seen as rank outsiders.

  Ms Kihika and Ms Keroche have for long been locked in internecine political battles. Some of these battles have crossed the borderlines turning personal or driven by pure personal vendetta on the Keroche side to the extent the governor had to institute lawsuits against her over her wild allegations.

  The two are likely to square it out brutally, politically speaking. Keroche, who accuses Susan of calling her a Mama Pima, a name associated with women making and selling bootleg liquor, doesn't seem to have much of political capital compared to her nemesis.

  She has been picking unnecessary fights with the governor with recent claims the Nakuru county own source revenues have dipped with the unaccountable difference being corruptly siphoned off - a claim not substantiated. If its not the state of War Memorial Hospital being shut and accusing the governor of sabotaging its operations or having a hidden hand in the whole saga, then its accusing her of not releasing monies for Naivasha residents displaced by the rising waters of the lake by same name.

  It seems the pair will undress each other in public in going for one's political jugular as campaigns heat up.

  For those who are to be heard saying that Nakuru Girls will go home in 2027 and bring back male leadership, well, the hard reality is we may end up with a second term female governor, or a surprise one if Riggy G manages to stir political waters with his DCP party in the Mt Kenya region.

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