Politicians eyeing the Nairobi governor's seat are biding their time, with almost a year left to the 2022 General Election.
The race is complicated by the fact the county is partly managed by Acting Governor Anne Kananu and the Nairobi Metropolitan Services.
Political analyst and lawyer Danston Omari told the Star Nairobi politics will pick up after the presidential contest takes shape.
“Nairobi is a very technical place to show your interest [early] because the presidential pattern is not clear. Whether it is Deputy President William Ruto or ODM leader Raila Odinga. They will give direction to Nairobi,” he said on Friday.
Omari said President Uhuru Kenyatta's interests in the county and the role of the NMS are other factors for the muted political scene.
He said if a presidential candidate backed by Uhuru is elected, chances are high that NMS will remain in place.
“If Ruto wins the hearts and Wanjiku votes for him, NMS will be silenced and Nairobi will have a proper functioning county government like the other 46 counties,” he said.
“That is why no one is showing interest in Nairobi at the moment because it might not be there for the purpose of elections.”
Major General Mohammed Badi's tenure at the helm of NMS is expected to expire in March next year, less than six months to the polls.
Omari said politicians are afraid of engaging in Nairobi politics to avoid clashing with NMS.
“Nairobi has many chest pumping politicians and ahead of the elections they don't want to be in bad books with the President or they end up like Sonko," Omari added.
Former Governor Mike Sonko tried to starve the NMS of cash and was impeached by 88 MCAs. The Senate upheld the impeachment.
A by-election to replace Sonko, who had no deputy at the time of his impeachment, was avoided when MCAs vetted and approved his nominee Kananu. The then-chief officer for Disaster Management was soon sworn as deputy governor and then acting governor.
Former Starehe MP Margret Wanjiru had received the United Democratic Alliance ticket before the by-election was put off. She is expected to run next year.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja also told the Star last month that he is running.
He said he would outperform former governors Evans Kidero and Mike Sonko if given a chance.
Kananu also wants to become governor of Nairobi next year.
Dagorreti North MP Simba Arati told the Star earlier this year that Nairobi will be under a handshake governor in 2022.
“The dynamics of Nairobi politics are fast changing but we are awake to the reality that as handshake partners we want to take charge of the capital city in 2022,” he said.
