By Protus Onyango
As political heavyweights and business moguls jostle to become the first governor of Nairobi, it is emerging that the task of governing the city will be fraught with thrills and pains.
Political commentators are in agreement that Nairobi’s governor will shoulder more responsibilities than other governors across the country.
But the work ahead for whoever becomes governor will be gargantuan.
A Nairobi councillor summed it up thus: “We operate on infrastructure that was meant for the 1960s. We need at least seven fire stations with modern fire equipment. Whoever becomes governor will have to work extra hard to make the life of residents comfortable.”
According to Kipchumba Murkomen, a law lecturer at Moi University, the governor of Nairobi has an overwhelming job to do.
“Nairobi represents the face of Kenya and has all the people of Kenya and visitors residing there. The governor has to set a good example to other counties by making the county shine more, given that it has the best in all aspects.”
The seat comes with enticing power and glamour as well as having a budget larger than the turnover of many publicly listed companies and state corporations.
But managing Nairobi will not be a walk in the park.
The city has a population of 3.9 million with about 60 per cent of them (two million people), living in slums with limited access to water and sanitation. In the slums, the poverty rate stands at 59 per cent and the youth make up 75 per cent of the informal workers.
Kenya’s Labour minister John Munyes puts the figure of unemployed youth at 1.9 million, with the majority of unemployed between the ages of 15 and 24. He says the Government has not been able to create enough job opportunities for millions of youth entering the job market annually. Mr Munyes says the 750,000 students who graduate from educational institutions each year will continue to flood the unemployment lines.
Sh15billion budget
According to Isaac Muraya, the Deputy Director of Environment Planning and Management, 2,000 metric tonnes of waste are produced daily in Nairobi, 60 per cent of this being organic. The City Council of Nairobi has not been able to meet the garbage collection services demand and it would be a hard task for the governor of Nairobi to keep the city clean. According to a recent survey by UNEP, Nairobi generates 3,200 tonnes of waste daily. Only 850 tonnes reach the Dandora dumpsite with the rest remaining unaccounted for.
According to Nairobi Town Clerk Roba Duba, currently the City Council’s annual budget is Sh15 billion but it normally generates Sh11 billion in revenue.
Once the central government implements devolution after the General Election, Nairobi County will receive at least Sh10 billion according to the recommendations of the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA). This means the county will have at least Sh22 billion which is set to increase if the county is allocated more funds in accordance with the Equalisation Fund, which caters for the marginalised and minority groups.
The Secretary General of Consumers Federation of Kenya, Stephen Mutoro says: “The City Council of Nairobi is rotting because of corruption and if the incoming executive promotes zero tolerance to corruption, more funds will be collected and the county’s revenue could easily hit Sh30 billion.”
Besides being in charge of the destiny of over three million people, the governor’s powers will be felt in all the 15 towns that ring the city.
According to the Constitution, the county governor will be the chief executive or president of the county government in the new devolved system.
The county will maintain the present boundaries of the city council and not the envisioned Nairobi Metropolitan area, which comprises 15 towns that surround the city.
Unlike the current council, which has a total of 99 councillors famous for bickering and infighting, the County Assembly will have more city fathers.
During the delimitation of boundaries, Nairobi’s 74 electoral wards were retained and another eight units added giving the county a total of 82 wards.
It is estimated that once the various political parties are allowed to nominate councilors, the county will have not less than 100 ward representatives.
The large number of elected officials will create a headache for the county, which will have to look for an appropriate venue to hold meetings.
Knowledgeable residents
The governor will wield executive power and steer a 25-member executive committee, which will formulate policies and implement decisions.
Initially, the governor may be forced to use the existing facilities at City Hall, which are not sufficient.
There are other headaches waiting for the man or woman who will be elected to the coveted post.
Mr Murkomen explained that Nairobi’s high population and resources place its governor at a higher pedestal than the rest.
He added, “The stakes are higher in the capital city given that many of its residents are knowledgeable and will want a rapid improvement of what they have now.”
He added, “It is the governor on whose shoulders the objects and principles of devolution must be attained.”
500,000 litres daily
The new governor will have to quickly address some of the problems that affect Nairobi residents. One of the most pressing problems is transport, which is defined by traffic jams that last hours.
He will also be confronted with the challenge of providing clean water for a city that, according to Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, consumes 500,000 cubic litres of water daily.
As the county grapples with the issue of the governor’s residence, some observers suggest that the mayor’s house, which was recovered recently from former Cabinet minister Noah Katana Ngala, can be renovated to serve the purpose.
So far, the governor’s seat has attracted a number of contestants among them former Mumias Sugar Company CEO Evans Kidero, immediate former Nairobi Town Clerk Philip Kisia, the chairman of the Nairobi Central Business District Association, Timothy Muriuki, Assistant minister MP Ferdinand Waititu and stock broker Jimnah Mbaru.
