Statement by Nairobi Central Business District Association Chairman Timothy Muriuki.

1. PRESS STATEMENT BY THE LEADERSHIP OF THE
NAIROBI CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ASSOCIATION
ON THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN NAIROBI
Besides serving the interests of the business community that
conducts its affairs in the city centre, the Nairobi Central Business
District Association (NCBDA) has over the years distinguished itself
as the continuous and objective voice of reason for the ‘Nairobi we
Want’ agenda. This agenda represents every Nairobian’s wishes
and abhors the ‘Nairobi ina Wenyewe’ attitude. It is from this point
of view that we express our concerns and views as follows:
(a) There is a lot that needs to be fixed in Nairobi just now.
Floods, currently, are a living threat to a sizeable population of
the city. The drainage of the city is in shambles. Dirt collection
has not been as good as it should be. Crime levels in and
outside the Central Business District have progressively
worsened in recent days. These are facts.
However, it is escapist, unrealistic and misleading to attribute
Nairobi’s current woes to a single institution, let alone the
Governor. There are a number of institutions that need to
come together and work in concert to deliver the desirable
Nairobi we all want. Spending all our time and energy piling
blame on Governor Sonko alone is escapist and diversionary.
Increasingly, it is beginning to look like there are emissaries of
shadowy political scavengers fighting Nairobi County
Governor, Mike Mbuvi Sonko for reasons other than the
welfare of Nairobi and Nairobians. Between certain
individuals—with a known record for meddling and rubble-
rousing—and a cheeky coterie of the civil society, there is

2. more of political mischief than a genuine expression of
standing up for Nairobi and Nairobians.
Let us separate politicking from service delivery and let us give
Governor Sonko a chance to deploy his delivery team - part of
which was sworn-in hardly a fortnight ago. Even as we demand
that the Governor plays his part in making Nairobi better, let
us bear in mind that Nairobi—which was the ultimate theatre
of the dreadful political pandemonium of 2017 politics—was
literally ungovernable until the beginning of 2018.
(b) The Nairobi the majority of the city dwellers want is not
guesswork, neither can it be the work of the County
Government exclusively nor the Governor alone. The Nairobi
we all want will ONLY come about when each of us plays their
role. Question is; when crimes take place in broad daylight
and the best the Nairobi bystander or passerby can do is
record it on phone for dissemination in Social Media, who is to
blame? When some policemen and policewomen—as has
been reported lately—abet crime rather that quash it and in
the process Nairobians suffer, whom do we blame? When you
stand at your door and you shove litter willy-nilly in wherever it
lands, whom do we blame? And when you willfully block the
drainage outside your house?
Before you apportion blame left, right and centre, let us
examine ourselves deeply and sincerely and elect to do our
part first. Once our conscience is clear that we have delivered
on our part, let us take on those who sleep on their jobs even
if it is the Governor himself. Blame for the sake of blame and
misdirected blame games will not deliver Nairobi from

3. garbage in the wrong places, poor drainage and flooding or
runaway petty crimes that go unreported and that are,
unfortunately, sometimes, tolerated by city residents.
(c) Going forward, we propose as follows:
(i) That professionals and professional businesses seek
audience with the County Government so that the role
they should play is streamlined and delivered as part of
the solution to resolving issues concerning the state of
affairs in Nairobi.
(ii) A deliberate and widespread campaign aimed at
enhancing vigilance by residents themselves as a
deterrent to crime be launched and supported by among
others, the National Police, NCBDA and the County
Government of Nairobi.
(iii) Regular forums between NCBDA and County
representatives be launched to enable the voice of the
Nairobian to be heard and emerging issues to be
resolved consultatively and within reasonable time.
(d) Finally, we urge Nairobians in particular and Kenyans in
general to let Governor Sonko have a free hand in choosing
his Deputy Governor. It is disrespectful to the people of
Nairobi who gave the mandate to be their Governor to hear
that Sonko is under pressure to appoint a nominee of some
wheeler-dealers and imposters. We want a DG of the
Governor’s choice so that we do not blame a third party
should Nairobians cry foul at some point.
Thank you!