KISII, Kenya, Jul 15 – Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has declared his intention to run for the Kisii gubernatorial seat in 2027, aiming to unseat Governor Simba Arati.Speaking on a local radio station on Tuesday, Onyonka stated that he is fully prepared to challenge Governor Arati.“I am behaving responsibly, without being petty. When the time comes, I will run for governor,” he said.Onyonka further noted that he is carrying out his oversight role over the Kisii County government without fear or favour.“I am oversighting the county government of Kisii without fear or favour. I’m not out to slander Governor Arati—I will only speak about his performance, as well as that of our Woman Representative and MCAs,” said the Senator.The political rift between Governor Arati and Senator Onyonka began a few months after the 2022 elections, following Arati’s dismissal of ghost workers from the county payroll. Onyonka claimed the purge unfairly targeted members of his clan.The Senator demanded accountability on service delivery and urged Governor Arati to provide a detailed breakdown of the 2022/2023 county budget expenditure—a move that deepened their political rivalry.Onyonka dismissed claims by Governor Arati that he rode on Arati’s popularity to win his Senate seat.“When we ran out of campaign funds in 2022, former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i came in to support us,” he said. “I did not ride on Arati to [get] elected. I campaigned like any other leader and earned this seat.”With Matiang’i now re-emerging in political circles, both leaders appear to be seeking his support. While Governor Arati has kept a low profile, Onyonka frequents opposition meeting attended by Matiang’i across the country.