Esther Passaris has switched course on her 2027 political plans, opting to retain the Nairobi Woman Representative seat after previously announcing that she would make a move to Makadara Constituency.
The Nairobi Woman Rep confirmed on Saturday, August 22, that she will defend her seat in the August 10, 2027 General Election, putting to rest her earlier plan to seek an MP position.
Passaris made the announcement while launching her re-election campaign, which also featured a new song backing her bid for another term.
"My name is Esther Muthoni Passaris, and in 353 days, I will be defending my seat as the Nairobi County Woman Representative in the 2027 General Election," the Woman Rep announced.
Her latest decision marks a reversal of the position she took earlier this year when she declared that she would contest the Makadara parliamentary seat.
On February 23, Passaris announced that she would vie for the Makadara MP position, saying the move would give her a chance to play a bigger role in the constituency's development.
She had explained that her choice of Makadara over Westlands was influenced by expectations that the seat would be vacant. Passaris said incumbent MP George Aladwa had privately indicated to her that he planned to seek the Nairobi Governor's position.
The latest announcement also reverses a position Passaris took in November 2025, when she publicly said she would not seek another term as Woman Representative after completing two terms.
At the time, she argued that the seat was created under affirmative action and should be handed to another female leader.
"By 2027, God willing, I will have completed two full terms as Nairobi Woman Rep. This is an affirmative action seat, and I believe it is time for another woman to lead," she explained.
Passaris will now face a competitive race for the Nairobi Woman Representative position, with Nominated Senators Karen Nyamu and Tabitha Mutinda of UDA already linked to the contest. Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) aspirant Millicent Omanga is also in the race.
ODM Nominated Senator Crystal Asige has been mentioned among the possible contenders but has yet to formally announce her bid.
A third-term victory would place Passaris among the longest-serving Woman Representatives since the position was introduced. She would become only the second Woman Representative to serve three terms after Siaya's Dr Christine Ombaka.
Ombaka became the first Woman Member of the National Assembly in 2013 and retained the Siaya seat in the 2017 and 2022 elections.