Uhuru, Ruto roll sleeves for Nairobi, say Jubilee must win governor seat

It is all bruising battle for Nairobi gubernatorial seat as main rivals go for each other's neck ahead of the fast approaching polls.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto yesterday in bare-knuckles street attacks discredited Governor Evans Kidero's administration, saying it had failed the residents and should be replaced by a Jubilee governor.

Uhuru and Ruto declared that Jubilee "must win" the seat come August 8 so as to change the face of the country's capital city which they claimed had been run down by the Opposition governor.

The Jubilee brigade further took a swipe at the National Super Alliance (NASA) leaders describing them as group of tribal leaders who have nothing new to offer to the people.

Uhuru said the 2017 contest should be about what candidates plan to offer the electorate and not tribal coalitions with no manifesto.

While rallying Jubilee supporters to list as voters in the remaining four days, Uhuru endeared himself to small traders ---hawkers and motorcyclists --- by accusing Governor Kidero of frustrating their operations.

The President said small business operators had suffered a great deal in the last four years under Kidero's administration, which he claimed was using county askaris to destroy business structures and extort from hawkers.
Jubilee administration said it was facing obstacles in developing Nairobi since it was under the Opposition grip, and asked voters to replace the incumbent with a Jubilee governor.

And for Jubilee to win the Nairobi top seat, Uhuru and Ruto told supporters to register in Nairobi in large numbers to shore the party's influence in the city.
He talked them out of going back to their rural areas to register, saying they should register and vote in Nairobi so as to determine how the county is managed.

"You know what sufferings the Nairobi County Government has caused you for the last four years. If you want a government that will benefit you then you have to register as a voter," said Uhuru at Wakulima Market where he had his first stopover during yesterday's whirlwind tour of Nairobi in a voter registration drive.

"The problem is that a majority of you go back in the village to vote. List and vote here in Nairobi. How will voting in the village help your business in Nairobi? Vote in Nairobi because here is where you live.

We want you to give us a governor under Jubilee to lead this county. Not a governor to destroy business structures, frustrating hawkers while looking for money," said.

Mr Ruto said ODM was given the seat in 2013 but had failed the people, vowing that they will do all that it takes to win the seat.

"Nairobi County Government must be Jubilee come 2017. Or do you want Nairobi government to be run by ODM? You must register as a voter so that we can develop Nairobi," Ruto said.

"We want to change the city but we have obstacles because you gave ODM the Nairobi seat. When we want to bring water they threaten us with street protest. We want to tell them that Ndakaini water will come to Nairobi because that is our plan for Nairobi," said Ruto.

The leaders pleaded with supporters to turn up in the remaining four days to list, saying it was useless to support Jubilee without voter's card.

They further said that voters should be more keen on whom they elect at the devolved governments since that is where most of their resources were being managed.

Nairobi County promises to be one of the battle country for both Jubilee and NASA, making both sides to pull all stops to ensure they take its control after the August 8 General Election.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) targets to register 855,531 voters but has since listed 251 054 by end of week three of the exercise.

And on Jubilee nominations, the two leaders said Jubilee had no preferred candidate for Nairobi, saying it's the people to decide on their candidate.

Uhuru and Ruto who made several stopovers in Nairobi among them Wakulima Market, Muthurwa, Burma, Mwiki among others were accompanied by Senator Mike Sonko, Peter Kenneth, Dagoretti North MP Dennis Waweru and former Starehe MP Margret Wanjiru, all of whom have declared interest to run for the seat on Jubilee.

And as Uhuru and Ruto made efforts to assure residents that it will be them to decide on who flies the Jubilee ticket, the ganging up against Kenneth was conspicuous as the other aspirants alienated him.

Kenneth was alone riding on his car while Sonko, Waweru and Wanjiru rode on one vehicle together, just to show their unity as Team Nairobi.

The group is against Kenneth for coming late in the race as well as allegedly claiming that he was the preferred candidate for Jubilee.