Who Is Running for Turkana Governor in 2027?

Jeremiah Lomorukai (Governor, Turkana) of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is in his first term, so he can stand again on 10 August 2027. The one challenger named in national reporting by 23 September 2026 was James Lomenen (Senator, Turkana), whom the Nation listed on 5 September among senators preparing to run for governor. Reporting on the Turkana race has been thin, and no poll of it had been published.

The seat and the 2022 result

Turkana has six constituencies: Turkana North, Turkana West, Turkana Central, Loima, Turkana South and Turkana East.

Lomorukai, then the Loima MP, won a three-way race to succeed Josphat Nanok, who had served the two-term limit.

Nobody reached half the vote. Lodepe was then the Turkana Central MP and Nanok's preferred successor; Munyes was a Cabinet Secretary in Uhuru Kenyatta's government. The two runners-up together had more votes than the winner, which is the arithmetic any single challenger in 2027 would be counting on.

Lomorukai's position

Lomorukai was elected on ODM but moved early towards President William Ruto. People Daily reported in October 2023 that he had pledged to back Ruto's re-election in 2027. Since then ODM itself has joined Ruto in the broad-based arrangement, so the governor's stance and his party's have converged.

His rivalry with his predecessor is older. In September 2023, The Standard reported that Lomorukai accused Nanok, then deputy State House Comptroller, of plotting his defeat in 2027 and of leaving the county with questionable debts. Nanok replied that he was no longer governor and that his successor should get on with delivering services.

In July 2026 The Star reported that Lomorukai had come round to supporting the government's disarmament operation in the county.

Lomenen

Lomenen, a former Turkana South MP, won the Senate seat in 2022 on the Jubilee ticket with 58,334 votes. The Star named him on 17 February 2026 among senators eyeing governors' seats, at a time when the Council of Governors accused senators of using audit hearings to campaign. The Nation's 5 September list repeated it: "In Turkana, Senator Lomenen is also among those preparing for a gubernatorial run." His party for 2027 had not been reported.

ODM, UDA and zoning

The larger question is whether ODM and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) both field candidates here. People Daily reported on 29 July 2026 that ODM had declared Turkana part of its zone in the broad-based talks, meaning it expects UDA to stand aside. UDA's leadership has rejected zoning as a principle. The same argument is playing out in other counties, set out in where UDA and ODM can't share a ticket and in the explainer on what zoning means.

If UDA defers, Lomorukai would face his challengers without the party that finished second in 2022. If it does not, the ODM and UDA vote could split as it did in 2022.

ODM's memorial tour for Raila Odinga, who died on 15 October 2025, was planned to reach Turkana from 23 to 25 October 2026, the Nation reported; the full itinerary is in ODM's Raila memorial tour.

Tension in the county

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission summoned John Ariko Namoit (Turkana South) on 22 September 2026 over remarks about the Pokot community at Kaputir on 2 September, and told him to appear on 29 September, Citizen Digital reported.

Women are also pushing into races beyond the Woman Representative seat. The Nation reported on 1 August 2026 that Sylvia Lapur was running for the Senate and Leah Lokala for Turkana Central. No woman had been reported in the governor's race.

What to watch

Watch whether Lomenen declares a party, whether UDA names anyone despite ODM's zoning claim, and whether Nanok's camp backs a challenger. Party primaries must be concluded by about 8 May 2027. The governors defending seats nationally are compared in every Kenyan governor defending a seat in 2027.