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Sakaja’s Running Mate: We Want to Make Nairobi a Premier City in Africa

Johnson Sakaja has named Absa Bank Kenya Ltd Chief Operating Officer James Njoroge Muchiri as his running mate for his gubernatorial bid.

Muchiri contested in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) primaries for the Nyandarua governor’s seat but lost to businessman Kiarie Badilisha.

Sakaja said Kenya Kwanza Alliance picked Muchiri after interviewing several people, including Jimnah Mbaru and Paul Kinuthia of Nice and Lovely.

Sakaja said Muchiri won’t be simply another deputy governor, however one with an agenda in the business area, to help in completing the bottom-up economic blueprint in the city.

“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,” he said.

Adding: “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 professionalize how we run our city. Nairobi residents want services.”

On his part, the ABSA Bank COO said he didn’t require a lot persuading to deputize Sakaja after long converses 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,” he said.

The technocrat said their bluepprint for the capital city will be to address unemployment through job creation and making of an empowering business climate for micro and small and medium enterprises.

“This is what we want to do to ensure that people can afford to live in the city and feel comfortable,” he told the Nation.

The dad of three expressed this as well as tending to the garbage menace, hawkers’ concern, congestation, and water and sewerage issues.

“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.

Sakaja and Muchiri will clash with Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance Coalition Polycarp Igathe and former Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki for the seat.