Sakaja picks Absa boss for running mate
James Njoroge Muchiri and Johnson Sakaja
Kenya Kwanza Alliance Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Johnson Sakaja has tapped Absa Bank Kenya Ltd Chief Operating Officer James Njoroge Muchiri to deputise him, ahead of the May 16 deadline for naming running mates.
This comes just days after the Azimio la Umoja camp unveiled its final lineup for the capital city on Friday last week.
In a move similar to the Raila Odinga-led Azimio, the Deputy President William Ruto camp has also dipped into the corporate world to complete its lineup for the race for Nairobi’s seats.
James Njoroge Muchiri who is set to be unveiled as the running mate of UDA Nairobi gubernatorial aspirant Johnson Sakaja during an interview at Serena hotel on April 26, 2022.
Mr Polycarp Igathe, a former Equity Group Holdings chief operating officer, will fly the Azimio flag in the city, deputised by former Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki.
Mr Muchiri contested in the recently concluded United Democratic Alliance (UDA) primaries for the Nyandarua governor’s seat but lost out to businessman Kiarie Badilisha.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja.
Senator Sakaja said the alliance settled on Mr Muchiri after interviewing a number of individuals, including Mr Jimnah Mbaru, and Mr Paul Kinuthia of Nice and Lovely, but he was the first pick because of his stellar corporate experience.
Mr Muchiri is set to be unveiled by Dr Ruto at his Karen office Tuesday afternoon.
He pointed out that Mr Muchiri will not just be a deputy governor, but one with a docket in the business sector, to help in actualising the bottom-up economic blueprint in the city.
Former Nairobi Deputy Governor Polycarp Igathe .
“Unlike many deputy governors who just sit and have tea and read newspapers, he brings a wealth of experience from the corporate world. He perfectly fits the bill of what we want to do in Nairobi,” said Mr Sakaja.
Address unemployment
He added: “He is a man I trust and we will be introducing him more to the people of Nairobi. He is willingly coming to serve the people. You know others are being forced to come and serve. We have great rapport and chemistry and we want to professionalise how we run our city. Nairobi residents want services.”
In an exclusive interview with the Nation, the technocrat said his naming as Mr Sakaja’s running mate comes after month-long talks with the Kenya Kwanza camp.
“It did not take long for me to accept to work with Mr Sakaja, partly because I admire him as a person, the principles and the philosophy of UDA and the direction they want to take Nairobi and the country at large,” said Mr Muchiri.
Create an enabling business environment
The father of three explained that the alliance’s blueprint for the capital city will be to address unemployment through job creation, and create an enabling business environment for micro and small and medium enterprises, which are tenets of the bottom up economic blueprint.
Former Kibwezi East MP Philip Kaloki.
“This is what we want to do in order to ensure that people can afford to live in the city and feel comfortable,” he said.
This is in addition to addressing the garbage menace, hawkers’ problem, congestion and water and sewerage problems, as well as challenges in the education sector.
“These challenges are not unique to Nairobi but are global problems. We want to make Nairobi a premier city in Africa that everyone is proud to live and work in,” said the University of Nairobi alumnus.
Early this month, Kenya Kwanza unveiled its lineup for the city including Mr Sakaja as the gubernatorial candidate, former Starehe MP Bishop Margaret Wanjiru as the senatorial candidate and nominated MP Millicent Omanga to contest for the woman representative seat.
On the other hand, Mr Igathe will lead Azimio’s team with ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna flying the team’s senatorial flag, while incumbent Esther Passaris will defend her woman representative seat.
