• The candidates will face off in a debate to be held at the Catholic University for Eastern Africa (CUEA) main campus in Karen, Nairobi.
• The first debate will run from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm and will feature governor hopefuls whose popularity ratings, based on three recent opinion polls, stand below 5 per cent.
Image: THE STAR
Nine candidates have been cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to vie for the Nairobi governor seat on August 9, 2022.
The Star's fact-check desk has compiled the profiles of all the candidates ahead of the debate scheduled to start at 6:00 pm on July 11, 2022.
Johnson Sakaja
Sakaja was born on February 2, 1985 in Nairobi (37 years).
He has held the office of Senator of Nairobi County since 2017 to date.
Founding chairman of The National Party (TNA) in 2012.
Nominated MP in 2013.
Party: United Democratic Alliance.
Elected Senator in 2017 under the Jubilee Party.
Nominations: The Future Awards Africa Nigeria Prize in Public Service.
Education: Lenana School, UON (Actuarial science, did not graduate), Team University (?)
Professional and Political Experience
Sakaja landed his first job at the age of 19 years at Pricewatercoopers (PwC) for one year.
He worked with a gospel group called Mission driven.
Set up a financial consultancy firm called Arthur Johnson Consultants during 4th year in campus.
Used SONU leadership position to rally the youth on the 2005 referendum
At the age of 26 he helped in the formation of The National Alliance Party (TNA), becoming it’s first chairman. This led to his nomination to Parliament in 2013.
Vied and won the Nairobi Senator seat under the Jubilee Party.
Parliamentary Accomplishments
In his role at Parliament, Sakaja sponsored bills which the president assented to:
Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015 –which essentially provides for "30% Procurement Reservation Criteria" for Youth, Women and Persons with disability.
The National Youth Employment Authority Bill, which creates a The National Employment Authority that shall actively seek opportunities for all the jobseekers in its database both locally and internationally and prepare them for those opportunities through capacity building programs.
The Private Security Regulation Bill, which provides for a framework for cooperation between private security companies and the national security organs
The Disaster Risk Management Bill, providing for a more effective organization of disaster risk management and mitigation, of preparedness for, response to and recovery from emergencies and disasters
Legal Issues
Sakaja called for the arrest of Johnstone Muthama.
Court papers who that the Petitioner demanded all security agencies to immediately arrest Senator Johnstone Muthama stating:-
“The Director of Public Prosecutions to take immediate action today on Senator Muthama. We are demanding immediate arrest of Senator Muthama and if not in future we can institute citizen’s arrest on him. He must apologize immediately. We are planning a major rally in Nairobi this weekend.”
http://kenyalaw.org/caselaw/cases/view/188308/
Mentioned in a lawsuit against TNA
http://kenyalaw.org/caselaw/cases/view/122203/
He followed the ICC cases on Twitter
Polycarp Igathe Kamau
Polycarp Igathe Kamau was born on September 21, 1972.
He is a Kenyan businessman, politician, and corporate executive.
He had earlier served as the Vice President in charge of Sales and Marketing in Vivo Energy Africa.
Before that, he had served as the Chief Commercial Officer of Equity Bank Kenya, between May 2018 and September 2018 when he was later promoted to the Managing director position.
Education:
University of Nairobi (Bachelor of Arts in Economics & Sociology)
Strathmore University (Advanced Management Program)
Career before politics:
Straight out of the University of Nairobi in 1995, Igathe was employed in Australia as a finance officer at Queensland Health in Australia. He returned to Kenya a year and a half later and took up employment with Coca-Cola, where he worked until 2000. He then joined Africa Online as a sales and marketing manager. He was then hired by Kenya Breweries Limited, working as sales operations manager and then as marketing manager. He then worked as the managing director at Haco Industries for ten years, prior to joining Vivo Energy Kenya, in 2003.
Igathe chaired the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, from 2012 until 2014. He also chaired the Petroleum Institute of East Africa, from 2014 until 2016. Other responsibilities include as Director and Trustee of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, from 2014 until 2016 and as chairman and member of the Board of Management of Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls High School since 2010.
The President of Kenya appointed Polycarp Igathe to chair the Anti-Counterfeit Agency in 2015, where he served for a year. He was then appointed chairman Special Economic Zones Authority of Kenya in October 2016.
Politics:
Igathe was elected to the position of Deputy Governor Nairobi City County in the 2017 general elections on the Jubilee political party ticket, as Mike Sonko's running mate. He resigned abruptly on 12 January 2018, citing lack of trust from his boss.
Legal issues:
Igathe remarks anger Somali community
Incident
Incident with a pistol at Shell Petrol station with former Senator Paul Njoroge
Old interviews
KAM Chairman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfjCmtlzsgs
Polycarp Igathe: Nairobi's Deputy Governor hopeful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQxvQ3Q9L9s
Court Case
Igathe’s appointment as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Anti-counterfeit Agency was successfully challenged as unconstitutional
Agnes Kagure Kariuki is most known as a Kenyan insurance executive and businesswoman.
She was born in 1974 in Nyeri county, Kenya.
Party: Independent (Formerly belonged to Jubilee Party before the ticket was handed over to Polycarp Igathe)
Agnes Kagure has a foundation called “Agnes Kagure Foundation” which occasionally renders support services to the marginalized in society and also distributes relief items to disaster victims.
Education: Agnes Kagure started school at the school at Tetu Girls primary school before proceeding to Kangubiri High School where she obtained a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.
She flew to Thailand to study at the Chiang Mai Rajabhat University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Source: https://agneskagure.co.ke
Personal Website
https://agneskagure.co.ke/my-story/
Legal Issues
In March 2022, Agnes Kagure was charged with forging signatures for land parcels in Karen in 2011
Fraudulent land lease in Umoja Inner Core
http://kenyalaw.org/caselaw/cases/view/232788/
Agnes Kagure’s First Tweet – 11 March 2018
https://twitter.com/itsagneskagure/status/972891775936466945
August 2018: Kagure appears on Sonko shortlist for Deputy Governor
“A gender activist and insurance executive, Ms Kagure has been voted Agent of the Year for seven years by the Association of Kenya Insurers. And in 2011, she was featured among the Top 40 Women under 40 by the Business Daily.”
She was mentioned as the founder of The Insurance Consulting Group, but it is not among those registered by the Insurance Regulatory Authority in 2022
Campaign slogans: #TuinueMtaaTujengeNairobi #RadaNiMamaKanairo
Nancy Wambui Mwadime
Linkedin account
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-mwadime-536a51aa/
LinkedIn Account says she studied at Punjabi University.
Nancy Wambui has been a Real Estate Developer at Costa Homes
Party: Usawa Kwa Wote Party
Manifesto:
Her manifesto includes;
✓ Water availability
✓ Bursary for students
✓ Jobs for the youth
✓ Studies abroad
Mr. Kenneth Nyamwamu is a Data Analyst and registered nurse, largely based in the US.
Party: United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
LinkedIn Account
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethnyamwamu/
Education:
La Sierra University - Bachelor of Science (BS), Computer Science.
University of Maryland Global Campus – Master of Science (MS), Data Analytics
Cleophas Kiio Mutua
He is running for Nairobi Governor seat on the Ford Kenya Party ticket under the Kenya Kwanza Coalition.
He is a former ICT Director at the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics KNBS).
https://www.knbs.or.ke/knbs-officials-visit-statistics-sweden-scb/
Harman Singh Grewal, 25, is a legal brand developer (Helping lawyers generate leads while educating citizens.
He is running on the Safina Party of Kenya ticket.
Education: Bachelor of Law (Strathmore University), Master’s Degree (Kenya School of Revenue Administration (KESRA).
Work Experience:
Co-founder Asilimia - 2016.
Project Development Manager- Smart friends (Sep 2018 to June 2020)
Head Of Operations – We make Impact (Feb-Aug 2021).
Real Estate Manager – Jasar (From 2016).
Teacher- Premier Academy, Nairobi (Srimad Rajchandra Institute) - From 2021.
Founder Kenyan Law.
Grewal is also from a tech background with areas such as AI of special interest.
Notable achievements:
He represented the country in The Kabadi World Cup in 2019.
Company website
https://www.kenyanlaw.com/our-team
No cases in court search.
Esther Waringa Thairu is the chairperson, Independent Candidates Forum of Kenya.
She seems to have been Esther W. Thairu-Otieno in a prior life and may have been an Operations Manager at Msingi East Africa (now Gatsby Africa).
https://web.archive.org/web/20190503222713/http://www.msingi.com/index.php/esther-thairu-otieno
Denise Kodhe is a seasoned journalist who has worked for both local and international media in Kenya and in Africa for several years.
He has worked as a diplomat with the African Union in -charge of an Organ and as Director General of the Institute for Democracy and Leadership in Africa (IDEA for Africa).
He is a philanthropist supporting orphans and needy children at Saidia Furaha Children’s Home.
Party: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Notable Positions: ECOSOCC (The African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council) Presiding Officer, Executive Director for Institute for Democracy and Leadership in Africa which he established.