Look Beyond Tibim and Tialala as You Elect Nairobi’s Next Governor” — Hon. Robert Alai
When it comes to the Nairobi governorship, let’s get serious. I’ve served in both the County Assembly and within the executive, and I can tell you this confidently — we have missed the point entirely.
I disagree with the President on this: Nairobi’s problem has never been money. This city generates enough revenue not only to fund its operations but also to lend to neighbouring counties. The crisis in Nairobi is not about resources — it’s about leadership and mindset.
The biggest mistake we make is treating Nairobi as a political cash cow, a temporary conquest where everyone comes to exploit and then retreats “home.” We forget that Nairobi is home — the heartbeat of Kenya, the face of our nation to the world.
What Nairobi lacks is dedicated, visionary, long-term leadership. The city doesn’t need panga-wielding, cocaine-sniffing, or pouch-tobacco-chewing managers pretending to govern. Nairobi needs a leader who can see 100 years ahead, who understands its cosmopolitan soul, and who realises it cannot be reduced to an ethnic enclave or a tribal trophy.
The next Nairobi Governor must be a person who can sit in the Cabinet, hold their own in global conversations, and articulate a coherent urban vision — not another ethnic crusader chasing populism and clout.
Let’s be honest: Moses Kuria, Babu Owino, Johnson Sakaja — none of them will fix Nairobi. Electing them out of anger or tribal loyalty will not make your city better. You elected Sakaja because he had dimples. Now you want to elect Babu Owino because he can shout Tibim and Tialala — and you think that’s progress?
Why do we keep playing games with the capital city of this country? Why do we keep gambling with Nairobi’s destiny?
It’s time to rise above slogans and showmanship.
Nairobi deserves a thinker, a planner, a doer — not another tribal mascot.
