Former Starehe Member of Parliament Bishop Margaret Wanjiru has explained her decision to leave the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), saying her departure was driven by concerns about the challenges facing Kenyans as well as her experience within the ruling party. Speaking on Tuesday, September 22, Wanjiru said her decision was not solely about how she had been treated by UDA leaders, arguing that farmers, transport workers, religious leaders and businesses were also facing difficulties under the current administration.

“People are crying in this country, farmers are crying, people in the transport sector are crying, we preachers are crying, business people are crying, the economy is shrinking every day, and you want us to laugh about it?” Wanjiru said.

She also criticised the administration for what she described as a failure to live up to expectations among people who supported President William Ruto’s rise to power.

“The things they have done in this country are unbecoming. We cannot pray for you, cleanse you, promote you, and market you, and then you come and destroy us; it’s not acceptable,” she said.

Wanjiru also linked her departure to what she described as an unfulfilled promise of a Cabinet appointment after the 2022 election. According to Nairobi Leo, the former legislator said she had been told she would receive a Cabinet Secretary position after helping mobilise support for Ruto’s presidential campaign.

“Bringing all those votes, they said I would be given a CS position. But they didn’t. That is deception,” Wanjiru said.

Her departure from UDA comes as she seeks to return to elective politics ahead of the 2027 General Election.

On September 6, Wanjiru announced that she would contest the Nairobi governorship on the Kenya Moja Movement ticket. She said the decision followed consultations with supporters, political allies and other stakeholders. Wanjiru has previously sought the Nairobi governorship and served as Starehe MP between 2007 and 2013. She also served as chairperson of the Nairobi Rivers Commission before leaving the position at the end of August 2026. In earlier remarks about her gubernatorial campaign, Wanjiru identified waste management, water, healthcare, roads and infrastructure among the issues she intends to address if elected.

Her latest comments therefore mark a further shift in her political positioning as she prepares for the 2027 elections, while she continues to criticise the administration she previously supported.