Nakuru Activist Urges Trump to Deport Governor Kihika Over Five-Month Absence

A Nakuru-based activist has taken the unprecedented step of writing to former U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to facilitate the deportation of Nakuru County Governor Susan Kihika, who has reportedly been absent from office for nearly five months.

The activist, Kimori Evans of the Kimori Foundation, claims Kihika’s prolonged stay in the U.S. has created a leadership vacuum, exacerbating a healthcare crisis in Nakuru—particularly after the closure of Nakuru War Memorial Hospital.

In a letter dated March 25, 2025, addressed to Trump via the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Evans expressed frustration over Kihika’s absence, which he alleges began after she sought maternity and newborn medical care abroad.

“Governor Kihika, elected in August 2022, has been absent for nearly five months, leaving a leadership void in Nakuru County,” the letter states.

“Her decision to seek medical services overseas follows her administration’s closure of War Memorial Hospital, a critical public healthcare facility established in 1906.”

The hospital’s shutdown has left thousands of residents—particularly mothers, children, and chronic illness patients—without essential healthcare.

Kimori Evans

Evans highlighted the irony of Kihika accessing advanced medical care abroad while her constituents suffer from deteriorating local services.

“As an elected governor, she has a constitutional duty to ensure public services, including healthcare, remain accessible,” the letter reads. “I respectfully request your intervention in facilitating her return to Kenya to resume her duties.”

Kihika’s Whereabouts and County Leadership Struggles

Governor Kihika, Nakuru’s first female governor and a former senator, was last seen publicly on November 18, 2024, at a vocational training center graduation. A January 17, 2025, statement from her office confirmed she was on maternity leave, but her exact location remains unverified.

Evans’ letter assumes she is in the U.S., given her ties to the country, where she studied and worked for nearly two decades before entering Kenyan politics.

The closure of Nakuru War Memorial Hospital predates Kihika’s absence, stemming from a legal dispute between the county government and hospital management over a 25-acre land lease. The county attempted to take over the hospital in October 2023, citing fraudulent lease extensions, leading to operational disruptions by January 2024. A March 22, 2025, Court of Appeal ruling dismissed the county’s bid to revoke the lease, but the hospital remains closed.

While Evans blames the healthcare crisis on Kihika’s absence, critics argue her deputy, Erick Kipkoech Korir, should manage county affairs per constitutional mandates. Korir has been active—including a June 2024 visit to KCA University—but residents report infighting between him and County Secretary Samuel Mwaura, suggesting a power struggle.

Public Outcry

On March 20, 2025, Nakuru residents petitioned the County Assembly, demanding clarity on Kihika’s whereabouts. Some, including Senator Tabitha Karanja, have even threatened impeachment over alleged mismanagement.

Led by Evans, petitioners insist the assembly summon Kihika or her representatives to explain her absence from critical county events. They claim her prolonged leave has fueled infighting between Mwaura and Deputy Governor David Kones, both of whom have asserted authority in her absence.

Evans noted Kihika’s last public appearance was on November 18, 2024. Since then, Kones has assumed gubernatorial duties, such as flagging off medical supplies on December 20, 2024—a task residents argue required Kihika’s presence.

Unlike previous years, Kihika did not address residents directly during New Year celebrations, instead posting a brief social media message. “The county faces serious issues, yet she is nowhere to be seen. Who is making critical decisions? We need answers,” Evans said.

Residents also accuse Kihika of neglecting pressing social and security issues, such as the disappearance of fisherman Brian Odhiambo, a suspected extrajudicial killing case. Despite public outcry, Kihika has not commented or taken visible action.

Unusual Appeal

Millicent Omanga visiting Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika in the United States (US)

The appeal to Trump marks a rare international escalation of a local governance dispute, underscoring residents’ frustration. Kihika has reportedly governed via social media, with handlers updating development projects on her official pages.

Evans’ drastic request highlights growing demands for accountability, urging Trump to ensure Kihika’s return and “restore the trust and democratic mandate placed in her by the electorate.”

As Nakuru grapples with this crisis, the situation exposes gaps in Kenyan law regarding prolonged absences of elected officials. Residents now await Kihika’s response—and whether her return will address the county’s mounting challenges.