Most governor aspirants plan to get rid of NMS, if elected

The Nairobi governor race has entered the homestretch after the candidates faced off in a debate on Tuesday evening.

At least, six candidates appeared for the debate where they shared how they will deal with among other issues, water shortage, unemployment, infrastructure, garbage collection and most importantly how they will salvage the relationship between the national and the county government.

The candidates in attendance were Polycarp Igathe (Jubilee), Johnson Sakaja (UDA), Kenneth Nyamwamu (United Progressive Alliance Party), Nancy Mwadime (Usawa Kwa Wote) independent candidate Esther Thairu and Safina’s Herman Grewal.

Candidates who skipped the debate were Denis Kodhe (Liberal Democratic Alliance), Agnes Kagure (independent) and Mr Cleophas Kioo (Ford Kenya).

Some of the candidates appeared to have solutions to the city problems at their fingertips. When asked whether they would continue working with the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), some candidates said they would get rid of it and revert all functions to the county as per the Constitution.

“The basic framework of our democracy is not set that way. We set a dangerous precedent if we continue with this path. We shouldn’t be having NMS running the city,” said Mr Nyamwamu

“Once I get in, we will have a transiting for them to exit and let the county government-run Nairobi as expected of them once they are sworn in,” he added. Mr Nyamwamu explained that despite the need for correlation between the county and the national government, the two have separate responsibilities.

Mr Grewal said the chaos at City Hall forced President Uhuru Kenyatta to pull the plug and push for the transfer of four functions; health; transport and public works, environment and water to national government but with the new regime set to take over the responsibilities will revert to the county.

Mr Sakaja blamed Mr Igathe for the formation of NMS, stating that if he had not “absconded” duty then there couldn’t have been a crisis at City Hall.

“The main reason NMS came about is because Igathe quit and it’s as simple as that... should I win, my government will be fully in charge of the county,” he said.

Mr Igathe defended NMS saying it has transformed the city since taking over key county functions.

“They have really tried to improve the environment, lets give it to them,” he said.

The Jubilee candidate promised to do a better job than NMS if elected governor. 

Ms Mwadime (Usawa Kwa Wote) was put on the spot after she said that she would only fix certain things when she takes power, citing garbage collection.

“This is something that I would first need to get to that office and sit with other parties and we see the way forward,” she said

This caught the attention of the moderators who questioned why she did not have an immediate solution to the county problems.

But Ms Mwadime maintained she had to get into office first to know how to address the issue.

The candidates promised to put in place mechanisms to curb corruption to boost revenue collection. Ms Thairu pledged to ensure open tendering process as well as gazette every project, winners of the tenders, cost and the duration of the project.

On February 25, 2020, former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, and former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, signed an agreement to transfer four county functions to the national government.

Through Executive Order No. 3 of 2020, the functions included county health services, transport, public works, utilities, and ancillary services, and county planning and development.

The signing of the Deed of Transfer left City Hall in control of less influential departments such as ICT and E-Government, Education and Sports, Agriculture and Livestock, Trade and Co-operatives and Devolution, Environment and Finance sectors.