Susan Nakhumicha  has launched Rais Mtaani building on her Mama Mtaani initiative in Trans Nzoia…..Photo/IP

By IP Reporter

KITALE, Kenya

 Susan Nakhumicha Wafula, Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and former Cabinet Secretary for Health, has launched Rais Mtaani, a grassroots engagement initiative aimed at taking the government’s agenda directly to communities while strengthening citizen participation at the ward level.

Speaking in Sikhendu, Trans Nzoia County, Nakhumicha said Rais Mtaani builds on Mama Mtaani, an earlier outreach program she pioneered to promote people-centered leadership through direct engagement with wananchi.

“Rais Mtaani is about listening to the common mwananchi. It is about leadership that shows up, listens attentively and delivers,” she said, describing the initiative as a platform for accountability and responsive governance.

During her tenure as Health Cabinet Secretary between 2022 and 2024, Nakhumicha spearheaded several health sector interventions that had a direct impact on Trans Nzoia County.

These included support for the upgrading and expansion of public health facilities, strengthening of maternity and maternal health services, distribution of medical equipment and increased support for community health promoters as part of the push toward universal health coverage.

She also oversaw efforts to improve financing for health facilities, including clearing arrears owed to hospitals, promoting preventive healthcare, and supporting reforms aimed at improving service delivery at the county level.

Health officials in Trans Nzoia have credited national-county collaboration during her tenure with improved access to essential health services and expanded outreach programs.

Nakhumicha was later appointed Kenya’s Permanent Representative to UN-Habitat in Nairobi, a diplomatic role that involves representing the country in matters related to sustainable human settlements, urban development and international cooperation.

Her renewed presence in Trans Nzoia has fueled speculation about her political future ahead of the 2027 general election.

She has previously hinted at interest in the Trans Nzoia governorship, a contest that would potentially pit her against incumbent Governor George Natembeya and former Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa.

Political observers say her national profile, development record and international exposure could significantly reshape the race in the agriculturally strategic county as early campaigns begin to take shape.