The clearance of Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja by the High Court to contest the city’s gubernatorial seat has come as a shocker to Azimio candidate Polycarp Igathe as he had pinned his hopes on his disqualification to capture the throne. But one question being asked by political analysts in Nairobi politics is whether the worked on power share formula between Uhuru Kenyatta Jubilee enjoying support among a
section of Kikuyus and Raila Odinga’s ODM of Luos will deliver seats to Azimio. Justice Antony Mrima dismissed a petition lodged by Dennis Gakuu challenging Sakaja’s degree validity. The court ruled the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission returning officer had no mandate to authenticate Sakaja’s education documents.
Johnson Sakaja
It was the same week Sakaja faced Igathe in the inaugural Nairobi gubernatorial debate moderated by journalists Mark Masai and Zubeda Koome. The debate started at 8pm – initially Igathe having a solo session after his opponent failed to show up on time. After 15 minutes, Sakaja arrived at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa where the Presidential Debates Committee was hosting the debate alongside its partners. During the debate, Sakaja who did not even apologise for arriving late maintained he is qualified to run, stating he is ready to make available his degree from Team University to the public for scrutiny. But Igathe accused him of presenting wrong documents and asked Kenyans to compare the academic credentials he presented in 2017.
Polycarp Igathe
After the questions on Sakaja’s degree ended, both candidates accused each other of having questionable integrity. The debate started with Igathe complaining about the problems of cartels – which, according to Sakaja was an excuse used by lazy leaders. The UDA candidate further claimed Igathe is already being funded by shadowy figures. Igathe responded by promising to file his own evidence on false documents that were signed by the senator. Sakaja also accused Igathe of being soft, blaming him for the takeover by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services. He opined that if Igathe had a thick skin, former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko would not have been impeached. But Igathe defended himself – noting that he had made a personal choice not to occupy an office where he could not deliver on the promises to Kenyans.
Agnes Kagure
And now the two candidates are battling for the Nairobi’s 2,251,929 registered voters
comprising about 1 million Kikuyus, 400,000 Kambas, 300,000 Luhyas, 300,000 Luos and Kisii, Somali, Asians accounting for the rest. While Igathe is assured of bagging the 300,000 Luo votes, he is battling to win over the Kikuyus but so far he has not succeeded in wooing them from deputy president William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance. Matters are further complicated by the fact that Sakaja has picked a Kikuyu, Njoroge Muchiri as his running mate. The fear in Igathe camp is that if Kikuyus give Sakaja about 400,000 votes, Luhyas give him 250,000 and the other UDA friendly communities give him 300,000 votes, the senator will scoop over 1 million votes to emerge the top. But Igathe who has picked a Kamba, former Kibwezi MP Phillip Kaloki as his running mate is hoping that the community will give him the
600,000 votes which if added with the Luo vote bloc will give him a head-start of over 500,000 votes.
Kenneth Nyamwamu
Igathe’s worry is that Kikuyus have not entirely warmed their hearts to him, as they did to Sonko in 2017 and Ferdinand Waititu in 2013 elections. The former deputy governor is hoping the Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate, Raila, will rally voters for him just as he did for Evans Kidero in the 2013 elections. The fringe
candidates are not expected to make much impact. They include Agnes Kagure who has picked a Kisii running mate, Abel Oyieyot. Kenneth Nyamwamu of United Progressive Alliance ticket is also in the contest and has named former banker and human rights activist, Lilian Achieng as his running mate. The contest has also attracted techentrepreneur Harman Grewal on a Safina party ticket, Esther Waringa who is running as an independent candidate, Nancy Wambui(independent), and former journalist Denise Kodhe who is flying the Liberal Democratic Party ticket.
Kodhe will be deputised by Steve Paul, a 28- year-old graduate of business management.
Harman Grewal
But pundits aver that the race is largely between Igathe, 51 and Sakaja, 37. Igathe is an enterprise chief who has managed firms within the oil, banking and
monetary providers sectors. Some say his entry into the race in April was a plot by Uhuru and Jubilee to take grip on the capital city’s politics. According to the recently released number registration, the Starehe subcounty has the highest number of registered voters at 169,575 which is an increase from 166,397 in 2017. Nairobi South, Pangani, Ngara, Landimawe and Nairobi Central are the five wards found within the sub-county. Mathare which has five wards – Kiamaiko, Mlango Kubwa, Ngei, Mabatini and Huruma recorded 123,163 voters, compared to 115,559 voters in 2017. Makadara in 2017 had 126,648 voters but the numbers have increased to 129,627 this year. It has four wards: Viwandani, Harambee, Makongeni and Maringo/Hamza. Kamukunji five wards are Eastleigh South, Eastleigh North, Airbase, California and Pumwani. In the last elections, the sub-county had 120,266 voters while this year they are 128,516
voters.
Esther Waringa
Embakasi West which has Umoja I, Umoja II, Mowlem and Kariobangi South has 141,878 voters as compared to 126,682 in 2017. Embakasi East which has five wards consisting of Upper Savannah, Lower Savannah, Mihango, Embakasi and Utawala has 154,599 voters compared to 2017’s IEBC data which had 140,740 voters.
With five wards – Kariobangi North, Dandora Area I, Dandora Area II, Dandora Area III and Dandora Area IV, Embakasi North has 113,344 registered voters compared to 104,253 in the 2017 general election. Having 150,314 voters in the 2017 general elections, Embakasi South numbers have increased to 167,953 this year. The sub-county has five wards Kware, Imara Daima, Kwa Njenga, Kwa Rueben and Pipeline. Embakasi Central has recorded 145,892 numbers of registered voters compared to 131,991 in 2007. The subcounty has five wards; Matopeni/Spring Valley, Komarock, Kayole North, Kayole Central and Kayole South.
Nancy Wambui
Ruaraka which is made up of five wards including Baba Dogo, Utalii, Mathare North, Lucky Summer and Korogocho has 124,482 registered voters compared to 116,301 in the 2017 general election. Kasarani had 146,701 voters in the 2017 general election, but the numbers have risen to 155,250. Ruai, Njiru, Kasarani, Mwiki, and Clay City are the five wards found within the sub-county. Kibra with Laini Saba, Makina, Sarang’ombe, Lindi and Woodley wards has 128,282 registered voters compared to 117,278 in 2017. Langata has recorded 145,649 voters this year compared to 132,835 in 2017. The area has five wards; Karen, Nairobi West, Mugumoini, South C and Nyayo and Highrise.
Denise Kodhe
Roysambu which has five wards; Zimmerman, Githurai 44, Kahawa, Kahawa West and Roysambu has 153,772 voters compared to 148,349 voters in the last general election. In the 2017 general election, Dagoretti North recorded 147,214 voters while this year the numbers have increased to 157,659. It has five wards; Kilimani, Gatina, Kawangware, Kileleshwa and Kabiro. Dagoretti South has 114,930 registered voters compared to 107,259 in 2017. Waithaka, Riruta, Ngando, Mutuini and Uthiru are the five wards found within the sub-county. In 2017, Westlands recorded 152,718 voters while this year the numbers have increased to 160,739. Karura, Mountain View, Parklands and Kitusuru are the wards found within Westlands.
