Politics & Elections County News

New Poll Puts Kasalu Ahead in Kitui Governor Race, Ngilu Third

August 2026

Kitui Woman Representative Dr. Irene Kasalu is leading the early race to succeed Governor Julius Malombe, a new opinion poll conducted by Mizani Africa shows, putting her well ahead of three other names circulating for the 2027 Kitui gubernatorial seat.

The survey gives Kasalu 37.4 percent support, with Kitui Central MP Dr. Makali Mulu trailing in second at 22.1 percent. Former Governor Charity Ngilu comes in third with 17.0 percent, just ahead of Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua on 14.3 percent, while 6.0 percent of respondents remain undecided.

New Poll Numbers

The County Diary’s report on the survey notes that each contender draws support from a different base – Kasalu from her countywide profile as Woman Representative, Mulu from his long record in Parliament, Ngilu from her years as governor, and Wambua from his Senate platform.

These numbers do not fully match an earlier poll. A Politrack Africa survey taken in March 2026 also had Kasalu leading, at 35.2 percent, with Mulu second at 26.2 percent. But that earlier survey placed Wambua third, on 18.8 percent, narrowly ahead of Ngilu’s 18.6 percent – the reverse of the order in the newer poll. Kitui Hub could not independently confirm which figure better reflects current voter sentiment, and the two pollsters used different methods and sample sizes, so the shift between Ngilu and Wambua should be read with some caution.

Party Affiliations Matter

Three of the four leading contenders – Kasalu, Mulu and Wambua – are linked to the Wiper political family, running under the Wiper Democratic Movement or its patriotic front wing. The March Politrack poll found that combined support for the three Wiper-aligned candidates stood at 80.2 percent, a figure that suggests whoever wins the party’s nomination could have a real head start heading into the general election. Ngilu, by contrast, is aligned with the National Rainbow Coalition-Kenya, giving her a separate lane outside the Wiper nomination fight altogether.

Ngilu’s Comeback Bid

Ngilu, who governed Kitui from 2018 to 2022, has made clear she intends to try to reclaim the seat. Speaking at a burial in Kyangwithya, Kitui Central sub-county, she said she was ready to take the challenge of returning to the governor’s office once Malombe’s current term ends in 2027.

Her name appeared on the ballot in 2022, but she withdrew and backed Malombe, clearing his path to victory that year. Whether her supporters return to her camp or scatter among the newer contenders is one of the open questions the current polling doesn’t fully settle.

What Comes Next

For ordinary residents, the shape of this contest matters beyond the numbers. A crowded Wiper primary could mean a bruising nomination battle playing out in wards across the county well before the general election, with implications for how development pledges on water, roads and market infrastructure get made and by whom.

With undecided voters still in single digits and two competing polls disagreeing on who currently sits in third place, the real test will come as campaigning intensifies and Wiper moves toward settling on a single flagbearer from among its three contenders.

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