This archive report was first published on 6 January 2022.
As Kenya gears up for the 2022 general elections, the battle for the presidency is heating up, with Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga emerging as the top contenders. However, the gubernatorial elections in the counties are also gaining attention, with Nairobi being the most watched race.
Nairobi, being the capital city, is the most important county in the country, and the gubernatorial election is crucial in determining the future of the city. The city has already had three governors, with the first one, Evans Kidero, being defeated in the polls, and the second one, Mike Sonko, being impeached and removed from office.
Currently, Agnes Kagure is the favourite to become Nairobi's fourth governor, according to a poll released by The Centre for African Progress (CAP) in August 2022. In a hypothetical race where all declared candidates run, Ms Kagure edges everyone out with 27% of the vote, followed closely by former Starehe Member of Parliament Margaret Wanjiru with 22%.
Former Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru is also doing well, coming in third with 18% support. Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi is 4th with 10%, with Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja and controversial businessman Richard Ngatia tying at fifth with 6%.
The role of party cannot be underestimated, and so far only Margaret Wanjiru (UDA) and Tim Wanyonyi (ODM) have come out to clearly state what party they intend to vie on. Although she has not declared her party of choice for the August election, Agnes Kagure is in the 'handshake' team, which this poll finds as an advantage. She is polling better than Margaret Wanjiru in a hypothetical race between the two, with Kagure getting 49% to Wanjiru's 41%.
