Businesswoman Agnes Kagure has shifted her political focus from Nairobi to Nyeri County, where she is positioning herself to contest the gubernatorial seat in the 2027 General Election.
Kagure, who leads the Kenya Patriots Party (KPP), has begun signalling her ambitions through billboards erected at strategic locations across Nyeri, accompanied by engagements with grassroots leaders.
The move marks a change in political direction for Kagure, who has spent several years building a political profile in Nairobi while pursuing the city’s top seat.
In a social media post accompanying one of the billboards, Kagure expressed appreciation for the reception she was receiving from residents.
“Nothing beats love of the people. Wishing you all a super great weekend,” she wrote.
Her latest political activities follow an October 9 message in which she hinted at returning to her roots after consultations with residents of her home county.
“A river may travel far, cross different landscapes and nourish many communities, but it never forgets its source,” she wrote, suggesting that she was considering a fresh political direction.
Kagure’s possible entry into the Nyeri gubernatorial race has also attracted support from a section of local youths.
On October 19, a group of young people publicly urged her to abandon her Nairobi ambitions and contest for the county’s top seat, carrying placards backing her potential candidature.
In the 2022 General Election, Kagure contested the Nairobi gubernatorial seat as an independent candidate but lost to Johnson Sakaja, who ran on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket.
She garnered 10,086 votes, representing 0.76 per cent of the total votes cast.
Before the election, Kagure had been shortlisted by former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko for the deputy governor position in 2018.
She later built her political profile through community initiatives in Nairobi, including programmes under the Agnes Kagure Foundation and Mbogi ya Mama, which support vulnerable groups.
Kagure also has a background in the insurance industry, having founded The Insurance Consulting Group.
Although her billboards and grassroots engagements point to a possible gubernatorial bid in Nyeri, she has yet to make a formal announcement confirming her candidature.
