Kenneth launches bid to contest for Nairobi governor's seat
What you need to know:
- Mr Kenneth said that time had come for Nairobi residents to have a manager with a track record, “and not just any manager.
- Mr Peter Kenneth said Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has failed to tackle problems facing city residents such as constant traffic jams, garbage and water problems.
- He criticised Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko’s utterances on Friday, when the senator said he and his team will not allow a candidate to be imposed on the people of Nairobi.
Former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth has launched his bid to contest for the Nairobi governor’s seat on a Jubilee ticket.
Speaking at Jesus Winner Church in Nairobi on Sunday, Mr Kenneth said that time had come for Nairobi residents to have a manager with a track record, “and not just any manager, as 45 per cent of Kenya’s gross domestic product is in the capital city”.
He was accompanied by Starehe MP Maina Kamanda, nominated Senator Beatrice Elachi, Nairobi Woman Rep Rachael Shebesh and several Nairobi MPs, MCAs and aspirants, who are in a camp dubbed Team Peter Kenneth.
“As you can see, the entire Nairobi leadership is here. It is now very clear and I have made it absolutely clear that I am running for the position of governor in Nairobi,” said Mr Kenneth.
He added: “We must ensure that Nairobi has the face of Kenya as it is the capital city. Nairobi requires a manager with a track record, a manager who has worked and proven that he can work.”
The former presidential candidate hit out at Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, saying that he has no track record and has failed to tackle problems facing city residents such as constant traffic jams, garbage and water problems.
NO TRACK RECORD
“He is a manager but has no track record. If Nairobi residents are looking for a manager who will work for the people, then they do not need to look elsewhere because that person is here,” he said.
Mr Kenneth further criticised Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko’s utterances on Friday, when the senator said he and his team will not allow a candidate to be imposed on the people of Nairobi.
Mr Kenneth said he was not ready to get involved in petty politics. “We are not going to talk ill of anybody or get involved in petty politics as we are all shooting towards the same goal and not our own goal. I have no issues with what they (Sonko’s camp) are doing and I also hope they do not have issues with what we are doing. Nairobi is for everyone,” he added. Mr Kenneth also urged residents to register as voters, adding that Nairobi has 2.5 million voters yet only 1.7 million have registered.
TWO CAMPS EMERGED
This came even as there seemed to emerge cracks in Jubilee over the selection formula for the Nairobi governorship candidate after two camps emerged on Sunday.
The two camps, one allied to Mr Kenneth and led by Mr Kamanda and Ms Shebesh, and the other one made of four gubernatorial aspirants — Mr Sonko, Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru, former Starehe MP, Bishop Margaret Wanjiru and nominated MP Johnson Sakaja — differed over the mode of nominating the Jubilee candidate.
The camps displayed their division, with the latter group of gubernatorial aspirants calling themselves Team Nairobi jointly attending a church service at Bishop Wanjiru’s Jesus is Alive Ministries, while Team Peter Kenneth’ attended a service at Jesus Winners.
The Sonko team has demanded direct nomination of the candidate at the grassroots while the Kenneth team is rooting for consensus.
Mr Kenneth said he was ready for any mode chosen by the party.
“If it is nomination, we are ready for it and if it is consensus, we can also sit and discuss,” said Mr Kenneth.
