All parties wrong on Nairobi governorship

Nairobi County hosts not just the country’s seat of government but embassies, international organisations and headquarters of multinationals.

It is this stature as a key hub of East and Central Africa with a big budget allocation that has made the Nairobi’s governor’s seat the most sought after elective position after presidency.

When Nairobi coughs the country catches a cold!

What is disturbing is the casual and pedestrian manner parties are going about identifying candidates to be nominated to compete for this seat. What parties must realise is that not every Tom, Dick and Harry is suited to run a county that is the nerve centre of the country.

For political parties to consider winning Nairobi governorship as a mere “icing on the cake “is to completely miss the point. Nairobi County is the “flour” that binds the cake!

It is the engine of Kenya’s economy whose influence extends beyond the country’s borders!

Nairobi is not a village cattle dip. We are talking about modernising the city’s sewage and water supply system, tackling its transport problems and enhancing revenue collection.

We are talking about increasing the productivity of the capital’s workforce, unlocking donor funding and boosting public-private sector partnership.

Brains, not political correctness, ought to be the least in the criteria for picking the county’s next governor.

There is still time for political parties to go back to the drawing board and come up with proven candidates, with the right credentials that matches the county’s importance as the country’s capital.

Such candidates may even be technocrats - not necessarily politicians, be they life members or diehard supporters of the sponsoring parties.

Let political parties cast their nets far and wide from the 45 million Kenyans and they will not be disappointed.