Competition for Nairobi's top post hots up as more join race

For Mr Evans Ondieki, it wasn’t a matter of if but when he would be fired from Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero’s cabinet.

The Environment executive was sacked on Tuesday in what is coming out as a move to get rid of disloyal elements in Dr Kidero’s trouble-ridden government ahead of the 2017 elections.

Mr Ondieki was sacked only a day after Dr Kidero’s name was dragged into a mega Judiciary graft allegation involving his petition lodged by former Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu that threatens to bring the entire roof of the custodian of the rule of law tumbling down.

Mr Ondieki’s exit choreographically coincided with former Devolution Cabinet Minister Anne Waiguru’s meeting with women in an event that fell short of her declaration to run against Dr Kidero with Mr Ondieki as her running mate.

For Dr Kidero, it was good riddance. Since Mr Ondieki was appointed, his dockets, first the transport and then environment, have been embroiled in endless controversies.

Mr Ondieki’s teaming up with Ms Waiguru has been received warmly by both Cord and Jubilee as both sides were wary of his eventual political somersaults.

In Cord, the Kidero team sighs with relief. “We are relieved. We can now strategise our politics without our secrets going out,” said Ngei MCA Daniel Mutiso, a staunch Kidero ally.

She may have denied her ambition in taking charge of affairs at city hall come 2017 but some Jubilee aspirants are not ruling out the possibility of squaring it out against the once powerful Devolution boss for the party ticket.

More than any other county, the seat held by Dr Kidero has attracted more aspirants in what promises to be a bruising fight.

Governor Kidero plans to seek a second term and so far, he faces no challenge from within the Cord family.

In the campaign trail, Ms Waiguru will be confronted by the scandal at the National Youth Service (NYS) where Sh791 million was stolen when she was in charge.

Some in Jubilee see this as her Achilles heel with a feeling it could hand the seat back to Cord if she gets the ticket.

NOT COWED

By last week, Mr Ondieki had attempted on several occasions to endear himself to the campaign of Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru but had not fully been accepted by Jubilee big boys.

“Everyone in Jubilee never trusted a Kidero minister coming into the team and declaring himself the designate running mate,” said a TNA MP.

TNA MPs in the city, who reiterated their continued backing of Mr Waweru, have downplayed the entry of Ms Waiguru. 

MPs Maina Kamanda (Starehe), John Njoroge (Kasarani), Mwangi Gakuya (Embakasi North) and Waihenya Ndirangu (Roysambu) are backing the first time MP.

Mr Waweru told the Sunday Nation, he welcomes competition. “I am firmly in the race. We are at the strategy stage and when we roll out our bid, we shall shake the entire city because we know Nairobians are dying to have a new regime.”

Another force in the city politics is Senator Mike Sonko whose popular brand of politics must be a source of headache for the opponents.

“I am still serving the people of Nairobi as senator for now but when the bell rings, we will mobilise our supporters to bring sanity back to city hall. Take it from me, I will be the next governor of Nairobi,” he told the Sunday Nation.

Former Starehe MP Bishop Margaret Wanjiru has also declared her intention to replace Dr Kidero.

Mr Kamanda said: “Our stand on city politics is known. When we change course, we shall tell our people. We welcome all manner of contestants. It is a free field. This means Jubilee Party is spoilt for choice on who will oust Dr Kidero.”

Mr Ndirangu summarised the MPs’ view. “Nairobi elective seats will not be a laundry to wash disgraced public servants who are forced to leave office over corruption.”

The MP said Jubilee will pick a candidate acceptable to “other communities whom we are planning to have coalitions with”