Politics of the capital: Why is Nairobi County a hard nut to crack

All the six contenders for the Nairobi governor seat have in their campaigns been promising to restores the city’s lost glory. Polycarp Igathe of Jubilee Party, Johnson Sakaja (United Democratic Alliance), Kenneth Nyamwamu (United Progressive Alliance) and independent candidates Agnes Kagure, Nancy Mwadime and Esther Thairu are pledging to make the city a better place to live and work in.

Although each of the other four candidates are exuding confidence of winning, it is Igathe and Sakaja who are the front-runners to succeed Ann Kananu at the helm of City Hall.
Both men think they hold the magic wand to problems bedeviling the city as outlined in the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan (NIUPLAN) launched in 2014 by former governor Dr Evans Kidero. The master plan has noble ideas that if fully implemented, the city would become a paradise. The city has an ugly face since most of its infrastructure is either tearing apart or out of date.