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Kenyan businessman and Kasarani Member of Parliament Ronald Karauri has declared his intention to run for Nairobi governor in Kenya’s 2027 General Election, adding a new name to an already active contest for one of the country’s most high profile political offices.
Karauri said he is entering the race because Nairobi’s biggest problem is leadership, arguing that the city has enough resources to deliver better services if it is managed well. He said he will be on the ballot and told supporters that residents would see improvements if he is elected.
Karauri is not only a politician, but one of the richest businessmen in Kenya. He is a co-founder of SportPesa, East Africa's largest sports betting platform and is widely credited for its rise, having served as the betting firm’s chief executive in the past.
Before his time in business and politics, he also worked as a Kenya Airways pilot, a background that helped shape his public image and the widely used "Captain" Karauri nickname. That mix of aviation, business and politics has made him a recognizable figure in Nairobi and beyond.
Nairobi City County is relatively small in land area at roughly 696 square kilometers, yet it is Kenya’s most populous county, with a population of more than 4.3 million recorded in the 2019 census. It is also the country’s economic engine, accounting for a large share of Kenya’s output and serving as the center of finance, corporate headquarters, logistics, technology and government administration.
In East Africa, Nairobi plays an outsized role as a regional commercial and financial hub. Many multinational companies, regional organizations, banks, investors, airlines and professional service firms use Nairobi as a base for operations across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and parts of the wider region. That gives the governorship influence far beyond county politics.
Karauri now joins a field that has already attracted other declared or prospective contenders, setting up an early contest likely to focus on garbage collection, roads, drainage, public order and the broader question of whether Nairobi can finally match its economic importance with better day to day governance.
