The race for mayoral seats heats up following Local Government Minister, Uhuru Kenyatta's announcement that the mayoral election will be held on Feb 22.
In Mombasa, there are sharp divisions between ODM councillors aligned to Mvita member of parliament Najib Balala and those of his Kisauni counterpart Hassan Joho.
In Nairobi, it is expected that an ODM councillor will be elected mayor. Elected ODM councillors have already settled for Baba Dogo councillor Godfrey Majiwa for the seat. Esther Passaris has thrown her hat into the ring after an expected nomination by ODM as a Nairobi Councillor. She has blessings from top echelons of the ODM movement and elected councillors are expected to be asked to step down in favour of her.
Following the promise, Esther Passaris has conveniently quit her Adopt-a-Light Managing Director post and appointed Naomi Cidy as Adopt-a-Light MD. Naomi is a former Kenya Airport Authority deputy MD who was sacked following the Artur Magrayan saga at the airport in 2006.
Adopt-A-Light has had good record in Nairobi street, public parks and slum floodlighting within Nairobi. Last year, Adopt-A-Light was embroiled in a tussle with fiery City Hall clerk, John Gakuo,, when the clerk advertised a tender for street lighting. Adopt-A-Light had enjoyed street lighting monopoly for over five years. Adopt-A-Light company had exclusive rights to advertise on all city streets without giving any revenue to the council. The council was supposed to foot all Kenya Power and Lighting bills relating to street advertising. The contract which was supposed to run for five years starting in 2002 April was to be renewed automatically something that John Gakuo was opposed to.
Esther, whose father was Greek and mother a Kikuyu, last year, launched a poverty eradication campaign, www.oneinamillion.co.ke under her "Driving Kenya Foundation" now to be headed by Maina Kariuki. The aim of her campaign was to get one million Kenyans to pledge Shs 100 a month to help the poor.
It will be interesting to see how Esther Passaris will work with John Gakuo, ultimately one will have to pave way for the other.
First and foremost it makes no difference if one is a Kikuyu/Greek descendant.It is Kenya for Kenyans, all in equality...isn't that what democracy is all about.Its more dictatorship understanding that one takes to the seat and till death do them part.It is the african mentality that a woman has no place in contributing to the nation, and giving merit to the good one applies in positive contribution has always been accepted with prejudice.In Kenya especially its a n egoistic Men's world.The current election aftermath speaks for itself.When have Kenyans ever accepted Uhuru kwa wote Impartially...hence the ethnic instigations for the sole purpose of those who go scott free in crimes , because they are above the law.?Kenya has bigger problems, Esther Passaris is just a speck amongst the logger heads of internal corruption.It is pitiful that the stove calls the pot black.
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