MY ANGLE ON NAIROBI GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE BETWEEN IGATHE AND SAKAJA.

 Yesterday , I was glued to my television set as I tentatively followed the Nairobi Gubernatorial debate at Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA). The debate started on a low gear but in the process , gained traction as serious issues were placed in the hands of the two gubernatorial candidates. Sakaja was late and I started developing a cold feet because he had threatened not to appear in that much awaited debate. 20 minutes later from the time the debate started , Sakaja resurfaced. He didn't even apologize for coming later and from his end as a typical African leader , doing that isn't an error but a normal thing.

The moderators , Zubeida Koome ( KTN News) and Mark Masai ( NTV) started posing questions to the candidates which were topical from issue of water , housing , garbage collection etc. From the look , Sakaja was eloquent , well composed , articulative and had done the background research on areas the moderators were asking questions on. On the other hand , Igathe looked shaky, not organized , had not done a thorough background check on the topic issues which were being addressed. But there is something the residents of NAIROBI should put close to their chests. They have a choice to choose between a populist and a politician and a manager and a leader. Back in 2013 , the gubernatorial candidates then were Ferdinand Waititu ( TNA) and Dr Evans Kidero (ODM). In that election , majority of the elites in Nairobi County voted for Kidero and a section of Eastland residents while the most of the ordinary wanjiku in Eastlands voted for Waititu. For the Senate seat , they voted for the populist and flamboyant Eastlando resident Mike Sonko. How did he faired in that seat? Apart from theatrics from right, left and centre , Sonko didn't do anything meaningful as a Senator. He failed terribly in his oversight role. Wailing in the streets and holding press conferences castigating Governor added no value. It was a sham.

On the very Gubernatorial debate yesterday , Sakaja was enumerating the problems the residents of NAIROBI faces. He sounded to be well conversant and as a City dweller , I was expecting that from his end. But the question I was asking myself is , in his tenure as a Senator , what did he do to ensure that he kept the embattled Governor Sonko who was impeached  that he addressed the problems facing Nairobians which he was enumerating with utmost precision? The problems that faced Nairobi City County stemmed at the County Assembly. It cascaded upwards all the way to the office of the Governor. It is after this push and pull that nearly grounded Nairobi County Goverment operations. The residents were severely suffering. From shortage of water , lack of proper medical facilities and care , uncollected garbage , blocked sewage systems , traffic congestion and unabated corruption and embezzlement of taxpayers monies etc. All this while , Senator Sakaja remained mum. Did absolutely nothing and during the impeachment proceedings of Governor Sonko in the floor of the Senate , Sakaja abstained from voting. As a leader who is mandated to ensure the County Goverment is running smoothly , he ought to have participated actively in that process. He was playing safe inorder not to portray to the residents of NAIROBI and especially Sonko supporters as someone who was behind Sonko's political woes.  As a Senator , Sakaja failed the residents of Kanairo. Period!!!

As for Igathe Polycarp , back in 2017 when Jubilee Party honchos presented him to be Mike Sonko's Deputy Governor , he wasn't prepared to remove his corporate cloak and wear that of a politician leader. He was not prepared to handle a political office. What he forgot is that , corporate entities and political offices are totally two different things. Sonko was a politician , Igathe was a manager who had risen through ranks in the corporate world. And because he wasn't prepared to handle the pressures and challenges that comes with one working in a political environment , he unceremoniously resigned from that position of a Deputy Governor. That alone is giving him a very difficult time to convince the residents of NAIROBI who are eagerly waiting for someone who will work for them. NMS came to their rescue. Fine!!! Though it has both pros and cons but to a large extent , it have alievated much of their grief on service delivery that the Sonko regime delinked them from.

Sakaja is presenting himself as the saviour of the City dwellers but from the reality he isn't. Sonko presented himself that way back in 2017. Infact , if yesterday's debate was between Sonko and Sakaja , Sonko would have scored an A , a clean one for that matter. As a Eastland dweller who is much acquainted with the kind of life the ordinary wanjiku lives , VOTERS in Nairobi would be now showering accolades and praises but in reality , he could do absolutely nothing. Sonko rode on populism back in 2017 and we can see how he managed Nairobi City County. Terrible!!! When I tell Nairobians Sakaja is a prototype of Sonko , just believe me. The elites in Nairobi County will vote for Igathe. That is undisputable. The Eastland dwellers will warm up both to Sakaja and others to Igathe but majority will settle on Sakaja. If residents of NAIROBI wants to shoot their feet again with their own bullets , the choice is theirs but from the word go , Sakaja won't deliver anything. 

On matters integrity , Sakaja erred. At first , he told us he graduated from the University of Nairobi with a degree in Actuarial Science. He proceeded to tell us that he bought his first Mercedes Benz when he was a student at UoN. Then , he forgot what he told us earlier. He slipped his tongue by confessing that he didn't graduate from UoN and he dropped because of lack of fees. Again , he told us he was offered a CS position inorder to drop his gubernatorial bid. He didn't stop his theatrics there, he went on to tell us , an operative from State House offered him sh 1 Billion to drop his gubernatorial bid. His flip flopping character is betraying his integrity and personal character. 

For Igathe , he should remove his corporate hat and understand that , running NAIROBI City County is not akin to running an Equity Bank operations office. It is more than that. It is extremely very difficult than running the Country as a President. Will he be able to take the City cartels at City Hall by the horns? Will he be able to deal with the residents of Nairobi who will be expecting much from him? Will he be able to handle the notorious matatu industry? Does he know that every sector in Nairobi is infested with cartels who roams like marauding Hyenas? IGATHE , in an event he clinches that gubernatorial seat come August , he should understand that it will the pinnacle of his managerial career. If he is preparing to jettison like he did back in 2017 , he should just quit the earlier the better.