Former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has declared his intention to contest for the Meru County Governor seat in the 2027 General Election.
In a statement on Thursday, February 26, Linturi said he made the decision after conducting public participation forums across the county.
Linturi noted that he had listened to the appeals from residents who have urged him to vie for the seat in next year’s election.
“Having conducted public participation across the entire Meru County, having listened to the People of Meru across the 9 constituencies, both on the ground and through the TV stations and radios, where the people of Meru have been calling on me to come back and contest for the Meru Gubernatorial seat, I have agreed.
“I will be offering myself to you, great people of Meru, to ask you to support me to be the Governor of Meru come 2027,” said Linturi.
This will be the second time Linturi is vying for the Meru governorship. He first ran for the seat in the 2022 general election on a UDA ticket but lost to Kawira Mwangaza.
Mwangaza garnered 209,148 votes, with Linturi coming in second with 183,859 votes. Former Meru governor Kiraitu Murungu came in third place with 110,814 votes.
Following the loss, Linturi was appointed by President William to be the Agriculture CS. Linturi served in the position until July 2024, when the Head of State dismissed the entire cabinet.
The former Meru Senator did not make a comeback after President Ruto reconstituted his cabinet.
On May 14, 2025, Linturi resigned from the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and formally notified the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties of his decision.
“I have today formally tendered my official resignation as a founding member of the United Democratic Alliance to the party’s Secretary General, with immediate effect.
“I have duly notified the Registrar of Political Parties of my decision to resign from the party,” he announced.
Linturi then joined Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP party and was given the National Organizing Secretary role.
