Passaris backs Wanga for 2032 as women leaders debate national succession

Esther Passaris has backed Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga for the presidency in 2032, arguing that Kenya's top leadership should draw from a wider range of regions.

People Daily reported that the Nairobi Woman Representative made the endorsement at a women's leadership retreat on October 13. Passaris urged Mount Kenya leaders to support Wanga and framed her argument around inclusion in national leadership.

The remarks came at a forum where Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru's national ambitions were also discussed. Passaris praised Waiguru's leadership while arguing that other regions should have an opportunity to produce a president.

An endorsement by Passaris does not establish that Wanga has secured a party nomination or that political organisations have agreed to a succession arrangement. It records the preference of the person making it.

Political Headache analysis: The debate brings two questions together: whether more women can reach senior office, and how parties choose who receives their support. Those questions should not be collapsed into a presumption that either gender or regional identity decides an election in advance.

Voters will ultimately need to assess the candidates, programmes and alliances that actually emerge. A future presidential contest also depends on decisions still to be made by parties and potential contenders. Current endorsements can reveal ambitions and bargaining positions, but they cannot settle those choices.

For now, Passaris has added a clear preference to the succession debate. A formal response from Wanga and any adopted party position would help establish how far the proposal extends beyond the retreat.