NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 1 — Former Samburu County Woman Representative and Jubilee National Executive Council (NEC) member Maison Leshoomo has defected to the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), alongside six Members of the County Assembly (MCAs), in a move that strengthens President William Ruto’s political foothold in Samburu ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Leshoomo and the six MCAs announced their decision to join UDA while declaring their support for Ruto’s bid to secure a second term in office.
The move marks a significant political realignment in Samburu County, with the former lawmaker abandoning the Jubilee platform as political parties and leaders position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
Leshoomo, who previously represented Samburu County in the National Assembly as Woman Representative, pledged to support Ruto’s re-election campaign.
Her decision brings a former Jubilee NEC member into the ruling party at a time when political parties are intensifying efforts to consolidate support across the counties.
The former legislator’s political influence in Samburu could provide UDA with an additional grassroots mobilisation network as the party seeks to strengthen its presence in the county.
Leshoomo’s move also signals growing political repositioning among local leaders ahead of the 2027 elections.
Six Samburu MCAs have also defected to UDA alongside Leshoomo, further broadening the political significance of the move.
The legislators’ decision gives the ruling party additional representation at the county grassroots level, where MCAs play a central role in local political mobilisation and engagement with residents.
Their backing is expected to bolster UDA’s efforts to build support for Ruto’s re-election campaign in Samburu.
The defections come as political leaders across the country increasingly align themselves with parties and coalitions ahead of the 2027 presidential, parliamentary and county elections.
Samburu is among the counties where national political parties are seeking to consolidate their support as the country heads towards the 2027 General Election.
The region has traditionally been an important political constituency, with local leaders playing a key role in determining national political alliances and voter mobilisation.
Leshoomo’s defection, together with that of the six MCAs, gives UDA an opportunity to deepen its grassroots structures and strengthen its campaign machinery in the county.
The move could also trigger further political realignments as leaders assess their preferred parties and presidential candidates ahead of the election.
For Jubilee, Leshoomo’s departure represents the loss of a former member of its National Executive Council.
Her exit comes against the backdrop of continued political realignments within Kenya’s opposition and governing parties as leaders position themselves ahead of 2027.
The defection highlights the fluid nature of political alliances, with leaders increasingly shifting parties based on emerging national and regional political formations.
Leshoomo’s decision to leave Jubilee and join UDA could therefore have implications beyond Samburu, particularly as parties seek to attract influential grassroots leaders.
The latest defections are likely to be welcomed by UDA as the party seeks to consolidate President Ruto’s support ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The party has been working to expand its political networks across the country and mobilise support around Ruto’s re-election bid.
The entry of Leshoomo and the six MCAs provides the party with additional local political figures who can help drive mobilisation and communicate its agenda at the grassroots.
Their endorsement also adds to the growing list of leaders publicly declaring their preferred political direction ahead of the next election.
The defection comes as Kenya’s political landscape continues to shift ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Political parties are increasingly seeking alliances, recruiting influential leaders and strengthening their grassroots structures as the contest for national and county positions takes shape.
For UDA, securing support from Leshoomo and six MCAs in Samburu could help strengthen its position in a county where local political networks remain critical to electoral mobilisation.
For opposition parties and Jubilee, however, the development underscores the challenge of retaining influential leaders as the 2027 political contest gathers momentum.
The latest political shift is likely to fuel further debate over the direction of Samburu’s political leadership and the county’s role in the wider national contest.
Leshoomo and the six MCAs’ endorsement gives Ruto additional political backing in Samburu and strengthens UDA’s grassroots presence in the county.
While the move does not by itself determine the county’s electoral outcome in 2027, the involvement of elected county representatives and a former national lawmaker could prove important in local mobilisation.
The political significance of the defection will ultimately depend on whether UDA can translate the leaders’ support into broader voter backing ahead of the election.
For now, the move places Leshoomo and the six MCAs firmly within the Ruto camp as Kenya’s political parties prepare for an increasingly competitive 2027 election.
