Whichever way the Kiambu governor election goes, the winner will have to sweat it out in what could be one of the most hotly contested races in the 47 devolved units.
Governor James Nyoro is seeking re-election after ascending to power in 2020 when Mr Ferdinand Waititu was impeached.
Among those in the race to oust Mr Nyoro is the man Mr Waititu floored in 2017 — the flamboyant William Kabogo who leads the Tujibebe Wakenya Party.
Mr Waititu polled an impressive 767,432 after securing the coveted Jubilee Party ticket, with Mr Kabogo coming in a distant second with 206,567.
Two-term Kiambu senator Kimani Wamatangi, flying Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket, is banking on the DP’s huge following in the 1.293 million vote-rich county to emerge victorious.
The man Mr Wamatangi beat in the UDA primaries, Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina Wa Jungle, is waiting in the wings.
Then there is Mwende Gatabaki, an accomplished policy expert — the daughter of former Githunguri Senior Chief Peter Gatabaki of Thakwa — and Kanu’s Juliet Kimemia.
Ms Gatabaki is celebrated for her successes in the African Development Bank and her role in the digitisation of key government services.
And so a titanic battle awaits in the county neighbouring the capital Nairobi and with a gross domestic product of about Sh420 billion in 2017.
In a county where only six per cent have no education, the pertinent issues which will decide the race include healthcare, management of public resources, agriculture, youth unemployment and road infrastructure.
Governor Nyoro has been campaigning on the platform of healthcare, youth employment and connecting more people to proper road networks.
“We want to continue with the good job we have been doing of connecting our people to more roads. Improve our healthcare and empower our youth as we strive to make Kiambu an industrial hub that can attract more investors as we have been doing,’’ Mr Nyoro said.
Mr Wamatangi said he will focus on improving governance and making the county an industrial haven. “If you look at my manifesto, it has captured governance, people-oriented leadership, equal distribution of resources, competitiveness and harmony. All these seek to make Kiambu an industrial hub where people are involved in decision-making,” he said.
“Leadership is about the people you lead; it's unfortunate that Kiambu as a rich county is where it is now. Look at the state of healthcare; most of the health facilities have no drugs, staff have not paid yet the county receives Sh12 billion annually from the national government,’’ Mr Wamatangi added.
Mr Kabogo, the ex-governor, has pegged his campaign on health and youth employment, saying during his tenure healthcare was working and staff were being paid on time unlike today where both permanent and casual staff are always on strike seeking better remuneration.
“I want to restore sanity in Kiambu where audit reports have revealed a lot of wastage and plunder has been happening,” Mr Kabogo said.
Mr Kuria, who is vying through his Chama Cha Kazi Party, has picked Ms Faith Mwaura to be his running mate.
He has outlined eleven pillars in his manifesto: Kiambu Hustlers Fund that seeks to give seed capital to emerging entrepreneurs, service delivery, investment promotion and real estate, export promotion, education, job creation, digital money, agriculture, infrastructure, health, sport and affirmative action.
Mr Wa Jungle, who is vying as an independent candidate, has picked former woman representative Annah Gatheca as his deputy.
His campaign focuses on improving road network, modern agriculture through value addition, manufacturing and industrialisation.
Make Kiambu industrial town
“I have worked with Kiambu people for a long time. There is need to make Kiambu an industrial town by lowering taxes. There is also need to improve the current healthcare services, connect people to more roads and empower the youth by providing seed capital through incubation hubs so that they can become independent,’’ said Mr Wa Jungle.
Ms Gatabaki, who is vying through the Safina Party ticket, has picked Mr David Wanjohi as her deputy.
The key pillars in her manifesto are youth empowerment, agriculture and how to mitigate climate change.
“Under my three pillars of building human capital development, I have a green revolution that seeks to intensify agricultural productivity and maximise small-holder farmers’ income. My goal is to transform Kiambu County from a net importer of food to an exporter in five years by embracing agriculture value chain development and increasing value addition,” she says.
Ms Juliet Kimemia, who is flying the Kanu ticket, has prioritised agriculture, value addition, and youth empowerment.
“My key focus is value addition linked agriculture, healthcare, youth empowerment for job creation, manufacturing as well as the equitable distribution of resources,’’ Ms Kimemia said.
Policy and governance expert Peter Kagwanja said the Kenyatta, trust and migrant/cosmopolitan factors will determine who becomes the next governor.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta factor will play a key role in the Kiambu governor race in terms of a protest vote where people feel his administration has let his own people down and this is well pronounced in Kiambu and in Mount Kenya region at large. Another thing is migrant population, especially in the Kiambu plantations, and this depends on who is able to convince them that he or she will address their plight,’’ said Prof Kagwanja.
