Former Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) chairperson Macharia Njeru has declared his intention to run for president in the 2027 General Election on the Mwongozo Mpya Party ticket, placing governance reform and public expenditure at the centre of his political agenda.
Njeru made the announcement in Nairobi on Monday, October 5, saying his experience in both private practice and public service would distinguish him from previous Kenyan presidents.
“I dare say that if I am your next president, I will be the first president who has served extensively both in the private sector and in the public sector. If you look at the history of all presidents in Kenya, none did that,” he said.
Njeru is a lawyer with more than three decades of professional experience. He is the founding managing partner of Macharia-Mwangi & Njeru Advocates and has also held positions in the corporate and public sectors.
He served as the first chairperson of IPOA, with the authority's inaugural board appointed in May 2012. IPOA was established under the Independent Policing Oversight Authority Act of 2011 to provide civilian oversight over the work of the police.
Njeru was also involved in Kenya's police reform process before joining IPOA. He served on the National Task Force on Police Reforms, commonly known as the Ransley Taskforce, and later participated in the Police Reforms Implementation Committee. IPOA records say he helped draft policing legislation that was subsequently enacted.
His professional background also includes service as vice-chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission and directorships at Fina Bank Kenya, Fina Bank Uganda and the Kenya Airports Authority.
Njeru said that if elected, his administration would target what he considers unnecessary government expenditure, including supplementary budgets.
“I have been in government; the amount of wastage, the amount of money even when they ask for supplementary budgets, is unnecessary. In fact, you could cut the cost of those budgets by more than 60 per cent and still function; it is possible to do it.”
Mwongozo Mpya Party is one of the newer political formations preparing for the 2027 contest. The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties listed the party for provisional registration in April 2026, with Njeru among its founding members. The party's listed colours are olive green, burnt orange and black; its symbol is a phoenix, and its slogan is “Sote Pamoja”.
The party describes its political agenda as people-centred leadership based on integrity, accountability, merit, participatory governance, national unity and sustainable development.
Njeru's entry comes as preparations for the 2027 presidential election intensify. The scale of the contest can be seen against the 2022 election, when the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission registered 22,120,458 voters. Youth aged between 18 and 35 accounted for 40.81 per cent of the register, while voter turnout was 64.77 per cent.
The 2022 presidential election was closely contested, with William Ruto receiving 7,176,141 votes, equivalent to 50.49 per cent, against Raila Odinga's 6,942,930 votes, or 48.85 per cent.
Njeru has previously criticised the conduct of state institutions and called for stronger safeguards against Executive interference. He has alleged that he faced pressure during his tenure at IPOA while Ruto was Deputy President.
He has also challenged public officials and constitutional commissions to defend their independence and uphold their legal mandates.
Njeru now joins a growing list of politicians and public figures expressing presidential ambitions ahead of the 2027 General Election, with the campaign expected to focus increasingly on governance, economic management, institutional independence and public accountability.