Nairobi Gubernatorial Race, No Space For Mediocres

Water CS and Nairobi’s Governorship Aspirant Eugene Wamalwa

By Nicholas Olambo
Political fever pitch is rising by the day. Candidates with bigger visions beyond 2017 are looking at Nairobi gubernatorial seat to launch their bids or push individuals loyal to them to go for the Nairobi seat. But where does this leave the electorate of Nairobi County? The precious document that saw the birth of this great County had many provisions among them the freedom for people to choose who they best feel can lead them. That freedom is being infringed and is under serious threat of remaining nothing but just writing in the constitution.

Nairobi is a County of significant importance to the entire nation and East and Central African region as a whole. This is the business capital. When that can be noted and not allowed to sink deep into the minds due to political greed, then there is no hope for the future. Nairobi city has suffered in the hands of cartels for way too long, under the old rule and today under the new rule. This County is thirsty for real change. Systems that destroy impoverish and not build our people have no place anymore.
Land grabbing is still a big issue in Nairobi. It’s belittling to notice that individuals known for the vice are imposing candidates on Nairobians. I believe this county has qualified ladies and gentlemen, with a good education, deeply planted roots on democracy, integrity and leadership skills who can take it to greater heights. This is not the place for individuals who have been more to the toilets than school to chest thump political ambitions without policies neither is it a place for candidates to run on borrowed ambitions.

The regime of the day led by Dr Evans Kidero has done nothing to write home about. Instead of doing a real job of great service to the people, the current government is only designing projects as a scheme to win the next elections. The same is the case with the senator and the women rep, endless theatrics and public altercations. In fact Nairobi despite being the capital and the County that every other County is looking up to, it has had its entire top leadership fight like kindergarten kids in the full glare of the cameras.

Whatever has been witnessed from 2013 till now is a clear indication that we need a serious change. That said does not mean that candidates can be imposed to serve the political interest of other individuals. I have no personal vendetta against Eugene Wamalwa. He is a brilliant lawyer, he looks calm, speaks the queen’s language in mid-Atlantic accent. He’s almost remarkable but must it take him external forces to realise that he is interested in Nairobi’s top job? That shows he is not ‘man enough’.

The force behind him is the interest he will serve; greedy politicians who are scheming to win his tribe’s votes in the coming polls, 2017 and 2022.
Wamalwa was duped to drop his presidential ambitions in 2013 thinking he would be given the national speaker job by the current regime. He was short changed, and the job was given to TNA man, Justin Muturi. He remained in the cold till 2015 when he was appointed CS in the water docket. His swearing in had to wait due to political wrangles and alignments backstage.

Reliable sources close to KI revealed that top leadership of the current is pushing for his candidature. The DP William Ruto is on record saying that Jubilee must win Nairobi top seat by hook or crook, could this be one of those ways. Nairobi cannot be tricked like people got tricked in London to vote Brexit. What does Eugene stand for? His visions for Nairobi is what will exonerate him. He’s favourited by the JP to be their flag bearer.

We also have boneless candidates like Dennis Waweru who have no extraordinary visions neither set policies but just floating around hanging on the lethal tribe string. Nairobi needs someone who can offer solutions to the glaring problems and not just same old tribal politics.

Esther Passaris, the vocal social entrepreneur, is the latest candidate to thrown in her bid for the County’s top seat, being the only woman who has publicly declared her interest. She needs to cut herself above the men to remain outstanding. She gained considerably high votes in the last elections losing the Woman Rep position to Rachael Shebesh in a whisker. Is this her chance? What can she do differently?

Miguna Miguna is again one of the most vicious candidates who’ve hit the road for the seat early and making serious strides with a borrowed script from Donald Trump’s US campaigns. He’s coming out as a no-nonsense, controversial candidate with the core value of fighting the cartel. He’s an interesting candidate to watch.