My contract with Kileleshwa voters

With the general elections set to take place at the end of this month, the journey that I started at the beginning of the year is about to come to a climactic point. In a tough and yet remarkable year for me, I kept going against great odds driven by a deep desire to offer something different to the Kileleshwa voters – an inspired leadership that would raise the bar for our civic candidates in terms of service delivery.

To a large extent, I believe I’ve achieved that objective considering my limited time and resources. My name will be on the Kileleshwa ballot under the SAFINA party and it’s now up to the voters to decide whether my tested credentials qualify me for the job of representing Kileleshwa Ward at City Hall for the next five years.


This Saturday 8th December 2007, I will unveil my contract with Kileleshwa voters at the Waruku shopping centre during an exciting public rally. The rally will be curtain raised by local music artists led by no less - JUA CALI himself. See image advert on the right.

I have printed cards with this contract, which I prefer to call my Five-point action plans. My take is that action on pledges is what Kenyans really need, not empty promises in the form of grand “visions” and “manifestos” which are never implemented.

I have desisted from using those words because they’ve become such boring lies to Kenyan voters. I’ve been handing out my cards to Kileleshwa residents whenever I go out on the campaign trail because I believe that it’s important for a leader to have something binding on paper with his/her voters for ease of appraisal come the next elections.

It’s therefore a great honour for me to hereby present this contract on the blog for your download and objective perusal. Please click on the image to your right for a close-up of my contract cards.

I invite you to post your queries or comments on the same at this forum. You have a right as a voter and employer, to thoroughly interview me on these pledges before you cast your vote on December 27th 2007.

I’m confident that I’ll pass the interview and that Kileleshwa voters will give me the mandate to represent them as a Councillor at the Nairobi City Council. God bless.

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Get in touch through:
dmuhindi@gmail.com or call me on +254 722 781042
- A Professionals for City Hall initiative -

Free medical camp raises the leadership bar

The Waruku free medical camp took place last Saturday 27th October 2007 at the Salvation Army Church on Musa Gitau road, Lavington. The event brought together medical personnel from the Lions Sight First Eye Hospital, University of Nairobi School of dental sciences, Diabetes Management Institute (DMI) and the Kenya Society for Deaf Children. Our team of 27 volunteers was able to register over 1500 patients from Waruku, Kangemi and even Kawangware.

This day was a culmination of five months of serious planning and lots of co-ordination between the different participating institutions, the organizing committee and myself. As I walked among the patients, observing dedicated medical personnel at work; I couldn’t help but marvel at what could be achieved with resolute determination.

I frequently stopped to chat to the women, men and children, patiently waiting for their turn to be attended. Their encouraging remarks and appreciation for the community initiative completely validated all the stress we had gone through, especially in the last few days prior to the camp.

Over 30 people were diagnosed with diabetes and were provided with free insulin to last them several months. A similar number were referred to the Lions Eye Hospital in Loresho for further examination that may lead to surgery, at no cost. Over 300 dental extractions were conducted during the course of the day, bringing much needed relief to many people.

Mr. Muli, a 62 year-old man from Waruku told me in Swahili, “My son, you’ve done very well. The toothache I’ve nursed for the last few months is now gone. God will bless you.”

One lady wondered aloud why I was going for a civic seat instead of aspiring to be an MP. “Even the MPs have never done this for us,” was her emphatic statement. “Mama, huwezi kupanda mti ukianzia juu. Lazima uanze chini, kwenye mizizi,” I responded with a smile.

These sentiments reflected what had come to be accepted as gospel truth by the people of Waruku and indeed many other residents of Nairobi; that Councillors do not serve the people who elected them into office and that they were not expected to do so. So it was quite a pleasant shock for Waruku people when I came along and did two major projects within a short time, when other aspirants were doing absolutely nothing but the usual theatrics.

The feedback from the ground continues to encourage me to soldier on with the campaign. Voters are now using my name as a benchmark for all other civic aspirants in Kileleshwa. I’m happy that I’ve managed to achieve my primary objective in this civic race – to raise the bar high for aspiring City Councillors. The beneficiaries of this scenario will ultimately be the residents of Kileleshwa Ward who deserve much better than they’ve been getting.

My deepest gratitude goes out to all the volunteers from Waruku and elsewhere who made the day a success. Many thanks to my friends who put in their time and resources to making this dream a reality for the people of Waruku, Kileleshwa Ward. And finally, a big thank you to my lovely wife, for believing in this initiative even when the going got unbearably tough.

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Dancan Muhindi – Uongozi ni vitendo
- Professionals for City hall initiative -
Cellphone : 0722 781042, Email: dmuhindi@gmail.com

The Waruku Free Medical Day

From the beginning of this month, I’ve been finalizing on plans for a free medical camp set for this Saturday 27th October 2007. Over 50 medical personnel will come together at the Salvation Army Church compound on Musa Gitau road, to provide crucial medical check-ups and treatment for over 2000 people from Waruku. This is the first time such an event has ever taken place in Kileleshwa.

It’s important to note that Kileleshwa Ward does not have a single public health centre and the medical camp clearly focuses on this issue. The idea behind this community initiative is also to demonstrate that I take very seriously the health of the residents, especially those unable to access or afford medical care. The Waruku residents are especially vulnerable in this regard.

The medical providers are as follows:

1. Lions Sight First Eye Hospital, Loresho.
2. University of Nairobi school of dental sciences
3. Diabetes Management Institute (DMI)
4. Kenya Society for Deaf Children

Fantastic corporate support has come in from Davis & Shirtliff Ltd. with a donation of 2000 bottles of water for the patients. Proctor & Allan Ltd. is also donating 2000 Nutri-rich porridge packs.

Please write or call me if you would like to support in any way towards this worthy community initiative.

Sincerely,

Dancan Muhindi
- Professionals for City hall initiative -
Cellphone : 0722 781042, Email: dmuhindi@gmail.com

Waruku clean-up campaign

Last Saturday 29th September 2007 was an interesting day for the residents of Waruku, Kileleshwa ward. They woke up in the morning to witness 46 young men and women embark on a thorough clean-up exercise of the informal settlement.

Starting from the deplorable Waruku CDF bridge to the proposed chief’s office site, the young people of Waruku cleared bushes, trenches and collected garbage from all around Waruku. By the end of the day, there was a remarkable difference in the general appearance of the place.

This event was a culmination of two weeks of planning between a progressive youth group in Waruku known as the Last born generation group and myself. My friends managed to raise some allowances to pay the group, hire a garbage collection vehicle and obtain the chief’s and police permits.

The clean-up exercise was meant to improve the environment of the voters I aspire to lead while demonstrating concern for their welfare. It went very well with the sentiments I’ve been expressing while interacting with voters; that “Uongozi ni vitendo” (Leadership is about actions).

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Please write to dmuhindi@gmail.com if you wish to support this ongoing campaign to have credible leaders elected into our local authorities. Donations in kind are most welcome. For example, cellphone airtime sent to my phone has been extremely invaluable in my communication with voters (The line is 0722-781042). Thank you friends for your great support. God bless.

Insights from the campaign trail

I've been having quite a dramatic time on the campaign trail. For the very first time, I now truly understand the statement, that “a day in politics is just too long”. So much has been changing on the ground. Party alignments are going on and numerous candidates are emerging at both civic and parliamentary levels. The season of deceit and deal making is here with us again.

As the campaign mood grips the voters of Kileleshwa ward, a general feeling of expectation can be felt on the ground. Over the last few months, my interaction with Kileleshwa voters has been a worthwhile experience. From Waruku to Rhapta road, right up to the numerous residential courts that dot Gichugu road, Kandara road, to Kenya High school and Othaya road, the experience has been an eye opener.

For the majority of these residents, there is a strong feeling that the next Councillor should be visible and ready to interact openly, and frequently with the residents. One resident I met recently on Mwingi road had this to say,

”Yaani, I don’t even know the current Councillor. I’ve never seen him. What do these guys actually do?”

These sentiments are generally reflective of the many voters who reside in the Kileleshwa residential courts. The Majority have no idea who the incumbent is, let alone seeing him.

However, Waruku is a slightly different scenario. I’m a frequent visitor there because it’s quite close to my place. Indeed if you ask me, I’ll tell you that this is the place that should receive the greatest attention by any sitting Councillor in Kileleshwa. It comprises informal settlements that stretch all the way from Musa Gitau road to Kangemi.

Talking to men and women there, the general sentiment is that Councillors (who they know very well) have not been working for the people but for themselves. And this is true because there is no single project that has been initiated by a sitting Councillor over the last 10 years in Waruku. I’ve also checked in the greater Kileleshwa and am yet to pinpoint a single Councillor-initiated project.

Past promises to build a shopping centre, roads and put up public lighting in Waruku have not been fulfilled. The murram roads are a muddy nightmare whenever it rains. Amazingly, there’s not a single Council clinic in the whole of Kileleshwa.

What happens to all the LATF and LASDAP funds that are given out to the Councillor for such community projects? This is a persistent question which many Nairobi City Councillors may not be able to answer very confidently.

A lady shopkeeper captured this tragic situation in Kiswahili for me.
”Tunapowachagua hawa watu, kitu ya kwanza wanacho fanya nikuhama nyumba. Tukiwaona tena, ni wakati kamu huu, time za campaign. Na hakuna kazi ambayo wametufanyia. Wanakuja kudanganya kina mama na vijana kwa shillingi hamsini.”

Translated as - "When we elect these people (Councillors), the first thing they do is to change houses. The next time we see them is during the campaigns. There's no work they have done. They just come to cheat the women and young people with 50 shillings."

When I talk to the younger voters, they tell me that in this year’s elections they'll not vote leaders based on party “waves” as happened in 2002. They believe that this is one of the reasons the Ward ends up with non-performing Councillors.

“Tunapigia kura ma individuals, vile tutawasoma,” says Steve, a young man who resides in Waruku. As we draw nearer to the general elections, I hope and pray that he’s right.

Nairobi City Council: What are the pots and flowers really hiding?

Nairobi residents have over the last one-year witnessed a remarkable transformation of the Central Business District (CBD). From an urban eyesore with dirty streets and dark dangerous alleys, the CBD is a place where one can walk on well-paved streets and enjoy the sight of strategically placed potted plants. This has come to pass in the short time that John Gakuo, the Town clerk, has been at the helm of the City Council official bureaucracy.

A friend recently pointed out the amazing work that Gakuo was doing with the beautification programme of the Nairobi City Council. “This man is a testimony that with a supportive government and the determination to succeed, one can achieve a lot within a short time.” As we stood on Kenyatta avenue admiring Gakuo’s handiwork, I concurred to a certain extent with those sentiments.

“My misgiving is that he is just one person in a sea of mediocrity holding sway at the City Council,” I remarked cynically. Incidentally, I’ve always wondered why the Mayor of Nairobi, Councillor Dick Wathika, never gets the credit for all the good work.

Nonetheless, over the last two months I’ve been studying a 136-page report that completely shatters this serene view of the Nairobi City centre. Written by investigators from the Kenya Anti-corruption Commission (KACC) and released in April 2007, this report reveals in great detail the horrifying rot behind the façade of reforms at City Hall.

Prepared by the KACC Directorate of Preventive Services and dated March 2007, it’s a detailed examination report on the systems, policies, procedures and practices of the City Council of Nairobi. I have read this document thrice and every time I did so, the enormity of what it says about various Council departments refused to sink in. Let me now share a few thought provoking issues from of this report.

The KACC report on the City Council of Nairobi

Many people will be surprised to learn that the Nairobi City Council has a workforce of 13000, of which only 711 (5.4%) can be considered to be skilled labour. According to the KACC report, this has created a bottom heavy unskilled workforce leading to poor service delivery. The Architectural section for example, has only three qualified Architects who supervise all projects in the City’s eight divisions. The section has resorted to delegating most of the supervision work to draughts men.

This has led to poor supervision of ongoing projects. It’s no wonder we have lots of cases to do with unstable buildings in Nairobi. The Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) recently revealed that 90% of buildings in Nairobi are designed and built by quacks and are at a risk of collapsing. Click here to see the story of the Nyamakima building that collapsed in January 2006 before completion.

Crisis at the Planning department

The KACC report goes further to reveal the current crisis in the department of planning. Against the required capacity of 60, the department is 80% understaffed with only 12 qualified planners. These officers are expected to supervise development over the entire City. Needless to say, they have failed spectacularly in this task. Zoning rules are rarely followed by the planners, hence the mushrooming and haphazard settlement structures that are the hallmark of Nairobi in the 21st century.

The report adds, “The current crisis of over development in some parts of the City illustrates the ineffectiveness of the department of planning. Some of the notorious areas include zone 3, 4 and 5 (Kileleshwa, Lavington and Westlands) as well as Eastlands including Kayole and Mathare North, where illegal and dangerous structures have sprouted unabated.”

The KACC team further established that the Council does not carry out stage-by-stage inspections of buildings. In many cases, inspection is only done for the purpose of issuing occupation certificates after completion of construction. According to the KACC report, many contractors do not adhere to the building codes and regulations. They end up being subject to extortion by Council officers in order to cover up and fraudulently issue them with occupation certificates. As a result, most developments in the City are now condemnable buildings, as they do not meet the expected safety standards.

Mismanagement of public funds

The Council is also responsible for managing the Local Authority Service Delivery Action Plan (LASDAP). This is a community development program funded through the Local Authority Transfer Fund (LATF). LASDAP was established in 2001 to enable Local Authorities to enhance community development through local community participation. Unfortunately, the program success has been hindered by mismanagement of funds and poor implementation of projects.

The KACC report blames Councillors for major inefficiencies and lack of consideration for the needs of the community. Community members are often not aware of these funds and are therefore not consulted on their project needs by their elected representatives (I have talked to many residents of Kileleshwa during my ground campaigns and I can attest to this). The result is that LASDAP funds are not optimally utilized based on the approved budgets.

According to the City Council of Nairobi LASDAP 2006-2007 report, Westlands constituency had only spent 10.65% of the funds provided for the years 2002-05. That is, out of Ksh. 71 Million that had been provided to carry out community projects, only 7.5 Million had been utilized to date. This is quite astonishing considering the myriad of community needs that could have been met through these funds.

Shocking accounting systems

The KACC team noted that the City Treasurer is not keen on maintaining proper books of accounts that will facilitate preparation of final accounts. For example, the Council does not maintain cashbooks, journal books, creditors and debtors’ ledgers, nominal ledgers, fixed assets registers, among other vital books of accounts. Unbelievably, the final accounts produced by the Council are therefore based on estimates and guesswork!

The report further reveals that the Council operates 20 bank accounts. Incredibly, no cashbook is maintained for any of these accounts! Consequently, no bank reconciliations are produced. “This is despite the fact that the Council has more than 22 qualified accountants with the bank reconciliation sub-unit having two qualified accountants,” says the report. The really horrible part comes when the investigation team indicates in their assessment that “the City Treasurer and the responsible Chief Accountant have deliberately avoided maintaining the cash books and preparing the bank reconciliation statements.” One therefore cannot verify the receipts and payments of the Council, hence creating a major loophole for misappropriation of Council funds.

The KACC reports reveals that the Nairobi City Council accounts had not been audited since 2000-2001 financial year, at the time of the investigation early last year. Despite issues raised by the auditor general for previously audited accounts, successive Town Clerks and City Treasurers have not taken measures to address these concerns. As a result, there has been continued deterioration in financial management of the Council.

There are many other cases of gross mismanagement documented in this report from all Council departments. What clearly emerges is a picture of a Council tottering under its own weight of incompetence, mismanagement and corruption. You have to read the report to comprehend the enormity of what I’m talking about.

There were times the KACC team found such glaring evidence of outright theft by Council staff that they had to cease their work and arrest offenders on the spot. During a surprise cash count at the main cash office, the KACC team caught the Chief Cashier with Ksh. 866,000/= stuffed in his pockets.

Inquiries revealed a well-organized racket of cashiers, internal auditors, employees of Nairobi Water Company limited and some senior management officials at the Council colluding to defraud the City Council of millions of shillings on a daily basis. This style of management is totally unacceptable for a Capital City that claims to be a regional hub of commerce and investment.

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Dear Kenyans, this report reveals the bizarre reality behind City Hall’s semblance of reforms symbolized by the pots and flowers of Nairobi’s CBD. To their credit, the KACC team has throughout the report given a number of wide ranging recommendations to the Town Clerk that could see the Council’s management practices considerably improved, if implemented.

As I conclude this post with a heavy heart, I would like to urge you to read for yourself the contents of this report by downloading a copy here. The issues I’ve shared in this post are just a tip of the iceberg. However, the question for all us remains: what are we going to do about this tragic situation?

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Dancan Muhindi
- Professionals for City Hall -
Email: dmuhindi@gmail.com

STOP PRESS: Budget reading for local authorities

In a historic first, major local authorities led by the Nairobi City Council read their annual budgets to the Kenyan public on Thursday 28th June 2007. In a major departure from the past, various chairmen of the local authorities finance committees read out planned budgetary activities for the financial year 2007-08. Other towns that did the same included Nakuru, Kisumu, Naivasha and Mombasa. In Nairobi, Councillor Mutunga Mutungi of Mbotela ward (Makadara Constituency) read out the largest of the budgets, set at over 8.3 Billion shillings.

This is a first step in the journey to transparency which Kenyans have been yearning for. It's now up to the voters to scrutinise how these funds will be spent, while ensuring they elect local representatives who are keen in using these funds for the benefit of the voters. I welcome your comments and insights on this historic occurence in our local authorities.

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CORRECTIONS - 3rd August 2007.

1. I've recently learnt that the Kisumu Municipal Council did not after all, present its inaugural budget reading on the 28/06/07.
2. The Nairobi City Council actually approved a budget of Sh6.083 billion against an expenditure of Sh6.081 billion, and not Ksh 8.3 billion as earlier indicated.

I apologise for these errors.

Shape the destiny of your Ward: Register as a voter today

Fellow Kileleshwa residents, I would like to appeal to all of you to join my campaign in transforming the management of our ward this year. The easiest and first step is to register as a voter at the following polling stations in the ward:

1. Kileleshwa Primary School;

2. St. Mary's School;

3. Salvation Army Children's Home (Musa Gitau Rd, off Waiyaki Way); and,

4. Westlands C.T.R (Rhapta Road)

5. Kenya High school - Off Gatundu Rd


The Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) started the last round of voter registration on Monday 11th June 2007. The above polling stations are already operational up to the 10th of July 2007. Please feel free to bring along your family and as many friends or acquaintances as you can.

Thanking you in advance, I look forward to your support this year! :-)

PS: On Wednesday 11th July 2007, the ECK extended voter registration up to 31st July 2007.

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If you’d like to contribute to this campaign as a volunteer or give material support, feel free to write to me at this email address: dmuhindi@gmail.com
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Local Authority Transfer Fund: The public fund that Councillors are not talking about

If there’s one Kenyan fund that has remained hidden from public scrutiny since its inception, then it must be the Local Authority Transfer Fund (LATF). It’s one of the eight operational decentralised funds whose aim is to reduce socio-economic disparities and improve the well being of citizens.

Among the eight are the well-known Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the Free Primary Education (FPE) established in 2003. The most recent is the Youth Development Fund (YDF) established in 2006. Others are the Secondary School Education Bursary Fund (SEBF), Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF), Rural Electrification Programme Levy Fund (REPLF) and the HIV/AIDS Fund.

However, for the purposes of this forum, I’ll restrict myself to discussing the LATF.

This fund was established in 1999 through the LATF Act No. 8 of 1998, with the objective of improving service delivery, improving financial management, and reducing the outstanding debt of local authorities. LATF, which comprises 5% of the national income tax collection in any year (approx. Ksh 15 Billion in 2006), currently makes up approximately 24% of local authority revenues.

At least 7% of the total fund is shared equally among the country's 175 local authorities (Ksh 1.05 Billion). 60% of the fund is disbursed according to the relative population size of the local authorities (approx. Ksh 9 Billion). This implies that Nairobi receives the highest amounts.

The balance of 33% (approx. Ksh 4.95 Billion) is then shared out based on the relative urban population densities. LATF monies are combined with local authority revenues to implement local priorities. (Source - Kenya Institute of Participatory Policy Research Analysis - KIPPRA).

The whole idea of having funds such as these is based on the belief that government at the local level has a better understanding of community needs, and is more capable of delivering improved, responsive and relevant services.

The question that begs an urgent answer is whether LATF has been able to fulfill this aspiration over the last 8 years.

Low awareness levels
A survey carried out by KIPPRA in 2006, established that LATF was the least known fund in the country. Free primary education was the only fund that recorded consistently high levels of awareness (at over 90%) with Local Authority Transfer Fund being the least visible fund at less than 30%.

Similarly, the Free Primary Education Fund recorded the highest rating for impact, with over 90% reporting a positive impact. Guess what, the fund that was rated as having the least impact is…you guessed it right ….the subject of our blog today.

As a citizen of this country and a taxpayer, I have to say that the picture painted by this survey is simply deplorable. If the leadership at the grass roots level is not able to enlighten community members on the benefit of these funds, then what is their mandate as elected leaders?

My understanding is that LATF funds are given out every year to elected local government officials to finance priority projects within the ward. Unfortunately, the law vests discretionary powers on the Councillors to decide what to do with the funds. Residents are hardly consulted and in fact, most people I’ve talked to regarding these funds are not even aware of their existence.

So, what have Nairobi Councillors and specifically the current Kileleshwa Councillor been doing with these funds? Kileleshwa voters need to start asking these questions because it’s their right to know how money provided on their behalf has been spent in the Ward.

Just to give you an idea of how much money we are talking about, my research has established that Nairobi Councillors receive the highest amount of LATF in the country. This is in the region of Ksh 4M per year to undertake at least one project in the Ward.

As I close this post and open it up to discussion with my fellow Kileleshwa residents and indeed other Nairobi voters, lets take a moment to ponder the words of Hon. Charles Kilonzo of Yatta Constituency.

“I would like to touch on the issue of Local Authority Transfer Fund (LATF) money. The LATF is like a country called Alaska. Everybody knows about it and nobody wants to go there. Why? Because Councillors have taken LATF money to be their pocket money.”

This is taken from the Parliamentary Hansard report of 2nd August 2006.

My fellow Kileleshwa residents, if you give me the mandate of representing your interests at City Hall this year, my first priority will be to establish a ward committee comprising community leaders and officials from residents associations. This committee will determine priority needs that can be met through the LATF funds.

I’m currently moving from court to court discussing this issue and others touching on the welfare of the Ward. Am open to invitations to discuss more civic issues face to face at your courts, residents association meetings or any other forum.

To arrange this, please feel free to write to me at this address: dmuhindi@gmail.com.

A challenge to Kenyan Media houses: Give us the back-grounds of sitting Nairobi Councillors

I was going through the opinion pages of the Sunday Nation newspaper of 27/05/07 when I came across Mutuma Mathiu’s commentary. Titled “Blueprint from the ‘Great African’ leader”, the writer enumerates his vision for the country if elected President. The ideas look good until he gets to the part where he’s proposing drastic changes to local government. I got inspired to write him this letter.

Hi Mutuma,
Just a brief note thanking you for your insightful ideas on what you plan to do if elected President of Kenya. Am sure many aspiring candidates will borrow heavily from some of these ideas.

However, I take great exception to your comments on local authorities as quoted below.

"Local government: Redesign local government by taking away effective powers to collect, budget and spend revenue from kanjuras and vest them in more effective and competent bodies. Mayors and Councillors would be freed to spend their time heckling, fighting and other ceremonial duties."

These are just the sort of comments that Kenyans can do without. What this does is to deepen the stereotype of Councillors as bufoons, without addressing the reasons of how they get elected in the first place and what can be done to correct the situation.

Your appalling solution to the problem does not help matters at all. Why should tax payers be burdened with salaries of people who are not working? We might as well abolish the position of Councillors.

I firmly believe that the dubious Councillors we get saddled with after every general elections, is due to lack of background knowledge on these candidates. If Nairobi voters for example, were aware that they were electing an uncouth fellow who has been a “makanga” most of his working life, they would think twice before doing the famous "three-piece" voting style to elect him as a "City Father".

The Kenyan media where you are a leading practitioner, has miserably failed voters in this regards. With every multi-party elections, the leading media houses in Kenya have faithfully carried candidates profiles at parliamentary and presidential levels. The Daily Nation is currently doing this.

Unfortunately, no single profiling initiative has ever been conducted for civic candidates. Is it any wonder that voters in Nairobi do not know their local Councillors yet they voted for one in 2002? I can bet you ten thousand bob that you probably also don't know your local Councillor!

As a civic candidate for Kileleshwa ward in Westlands constituency, I would like to challenge you in your capacity as a managing editor at the largest media house in East Africa to start an initiative in the Daily Nation profiling current Councillors at City Hall and aspiring civic candidates in all the 55 Nairobi wards.

I can assure you, the knowledge you will have imparted to Nairobi voters will ensure they make informed choices come December 2007. Do this and even you, will be proud to have a Nairobi City Council managed by respectable individuals who have no time for shenanigans such as throwing stools at each other.

I look forward to your response.

Regards,

Dancan Muhindi
- Professionals for City Hall -
http://nairobicouncillor.blogspot.com

Dancan Muhindi: Background information

I believe it's important for the voters in Kileleshwa to have a good insight of the candidates presenting themselves for elections this year. I would therefore like to share a bit on my background.

I was born on 26th September 1973, in Nanyuki town, Laikipia district. A first born in a family of five children, I grew up mostly in Nairobi, though I've lived in different parts of Kenya through diverse experiences which have shaped me into the person that I am today.

I attended Harambee primary school, situated in Eastlands, Nairobi, before moving to Arya primary school in Kisumu where I completed my primary education in 1987. I was fortunate to attend Lenana school, one of the national schools in the country, from 1988 to 1991. In 1993, I joined the University of Nairobi to pursue a bachelors degree in design, graduating in 1997. In 2006, I enrolled for a masters degree in communications at the University of Nairobi's school of journalism.

Over the last ten years, I've been fortunate to work with leading organisations in the country as an ICT professional, such as the Kenya Literature Bureau and the Nation Media Group. Am currently working with an International NGO supporting small-scale agricultural development in the East African region.

I believe in sharing my talents with the community, especially in matters pertaining to the education of children. In that regard, I'm an active board member of the Kenya National Association of the Children's International Summer Villages, a volunteer organisation promoting inter-cultural youth exchange programmes. Married and blessed with two children, I currently reside in Lavington, Kileleshwa ward.

Do you know your local Councillor?

Many people are aware that there are two levels of governance in Kenya; these are the Central and Local government. The Central government has three arms: the Legislative (Parliament), the Executive (President, cabinet and civil service) and the Judiciary.

Local government is comprised of municipalities and councils run by elected officials known as Councillors.

The Executive and Legislature enjoy lots of media attention, with aspiring candidates at presidential and parliamentary level receiving good coverage through an election year (as is currently happening).

Unfortunately, civic candidates are usually completely ignored by mainstream media houses. Most voters inevitably remain in the dark regarding these candidates, till the elections day.

During this important democratic exercise, most voters will often revert to the famous “three-piece suit” voting pattern in determining their Councillors. “Because I’ve given my favourite Presidential candidate my vote, I’ll also vote in an MP and Councillor from the same party where he or she belongs to,” so goes the reasoning. As a result, many Nairobi voters cannot tell you who their local Councillor is, yet they voted for one during the last elections in 2002!

Sadly, this situation has left room for people with extremely dubious backgrounds and scanty credentials evade serious scrutiny by voters. After securing party nominations (often conducted though fracas and chaos), many manage to get elected through political party “waves” such as the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) momentum in 2002 which bundled KANU out of power.

It’s no wonder that many of our local authorities are riddled with gross ineptitude, mismanagement and mediocrity. They
remain theatres of the absurd, with numerous bizarre incidents being documented over the years on the conduct unbecoming of our Councillors. A recent example is the chaotic mayoral polls conducted on the 20th of July 2006 at the Nairobi City Council (click image at the top). Read the story here.

Here’s what Musikari Kombo, Minister for Local Government said about the incidence.

“As I wind up, I would like to say that the mayoral elections were barbaric and it is something we must deal with. I undertake to bring amendments to Cap.265, that will deal with that area and also ensure that a better calibre of councillors are elected into the local authorities.”

This is taken from the Parliamentary Hansard report of Wednesday 2nd August 2006.

Dear Kenyans, what is the solution to this state of affairs? I firmly believe a large part of the solution lies within our reach as voters. I submit that we have the power to elect high calibre and result-focused individuals as Councillors if we took the time to scrutinise aspiring civic candidates as we do the parliamentary ones.

In that endeavour, I’ve humbly presented myself to the people of Kileleshwa Ward as a candidate for Councillor in this year’s general elections. Please click here to read an email announcement I sent to my friends.

I firmly believe that the management of our councils can be tremendously improved, if a critical mass of professionals is elected to run our local authorities. They should be men and women of integrity, highly competent individuals capable of tackling the challenges of running a City in the 21st century.

Rather than talk and complain about the current situation, I’ve decided to step out of my safety zone and wade into the “murky” world of politics. I hope my brave step will encourage other like-minded individuals to make a difference where it really matters – at the grassroots level. If successful, this vision will eventually impact on the way we conduct our national affairs at both parliamentary and executive levels of governance.

Please feel free to share your thoughts, questions and solutions on this blog regarding our civic authorities. By so doing, we shall have focused ourselves more keenly on civic leaders, and shall no longer allow ourselves to vote blindly at every general election.

The Chinese once said, “ a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

My fellow Kileleshwa voters, our journey to elect a professional and change the way things are done at City Hall has began today.

Sincerely,

Dancan Muhindi
- Professionals for City Hall -

If you’d like to join this noble campaign as a volunteer, or to donate campaign materials, please write to me.
Email: dmuhindi@gmail.com