Nairobi headed in the wrong direction – Survey

By Newsflash Reporter

About 57.3% of Nairobi residents believe that the county is headed in the wrong direction.

This is according to a new survey released on Thursday, February 6, 2025, by research firm Politrack Africa depicting Governor Johnson Sakaja’s shortcomings since assuming office.

The survey shows that only 18.7% of city residents believe the county is headed in the right direction, while 11.1% are not so sure about the right or wrong direction.

10.7% of the residents don’t know the direction that the county is headed, while 2.2% refused to answer.

According to its findings, the four key areas that concern the city residents most are;

Corruption (42.1%), environmental pollution (24.6%), Road Traffic (11.1%), Harassment from City Council Officers (10.2%), Insecurity (7.5%), Water and sanitation (3.3%), and others (1.2%).

The research firm also revealed that, on a scale of 1-10, the performance of the Nairobi County administration stands as follows:

Starehe (50.1%), Embakasi North (49.1%), Kibra (47.5%), Embakasi Central (46.7%), Embakasi West (43.1%), Dagoretti North (41.2%), Embakasi South (40.0%), Makadara (39.8%), Lang’ata (37.1%), Dagoretti South (35.6%), Ruaraka (33.4%), Embakasi East (31.4%), Mathare (23.4%), Westlands (23.1%), Kasarani (20.1%), Kamukunji (19.4%), and Roysambu (12.2%).

Additionally, on a scale of 1-10, city residents rate the performance of Nairobi County administration in the following areas, as follows:

Environment Pollution (50.0%), Education (ECDE) (47.6%), Health (33.4%), youth and sports (31.2%), traffic management (23.4%), trade (20.7%), water and sanitation (13.6%), roads (12.1%), fight against corruption (8.1%), and urban planning (6.7%).

The new survey shows that if elections were held today, 10.4% of the city residents would consider tribal affiliation before electing the next governor of Nairobi.

31.1% would consider a development-orientated leader, while 50% would look at the track record.

On a scale of 1-10, city residents rated the performance of Governor Sakaja as follows:

Starehe (53.2%), Kibra (50.0%), Dagoretti North (48.7%), Lang’ata (47.1%), Embakasi South (43.2%), Makadara (42.1%), Mathare (40.9%), Embakasi West (40.1%), Dagoretti South (37.7%), Embakasi North (36.9%), Ruaraka (30.7%), Kasarani (28.9%), Embakasi Central (26.7%), Roysambu (23.5%), Westlands (21.2%), Kamukunji (19.0%), and Embakasi East (16.7%).

If elections were held today, 21.5% of the city residents would extremely vote against Governor Sakaja as Nairobi County’s boss, while 20.8% would likely do the same.

12.1% remain neutral, 20.3 are unlikely to do so, and 25.3% are unlikely to vote back Governor Sakaja.

On the other hand, the survey shows that if elections were held today, 33.0% believe that Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi would be the most preferred candidate for the Nairobi County Gubernatorial race.

30.1% would vote in favour of Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, 20.3% would vote for Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, 11.2% for Governor Sakaja, 2.2% for Richard Ngatia, 1.7% for Edwin Sifuna, 1.0% for Polycarp Igathe, and 0.5% others.

On a scale of 1-10, the residents rated the performance of Senator Sifuna as follows:

Kibra (69.0%), Starehe (67.9%), Embakasi Central (60.5%), Dagoretti South (56.7%), Mathare (56.4%), Embakasi North (55.5%), Makadara (54.7%), Roysambu (54.3%), Embakasi West (53.3%), Embakasi South (53.0%), Lang’ata (52.1%), Kasarani (51.4%), Ruaraka (51.0%), Kamukunji (50.8%), Westlands (50.2%), Embakasi East (49.8%), and Dagoretti North (49.4%).

Meanwhile, 51.1% of the city residents say they would vote back Sifuna as Nairobi County Senator. 24.2% are likely to vote for him while 9.7% are neutral, 10.3% would unlikely vote for him and 4.7% won’t support Senator Sifuna’s reelection bid.

Regarding Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris, on a scale of 1-10, interviewed city residents rated her performance as follows;

Lang’ata (46.1%), Makadara (35.5%), Starehe (50.7%), Mathare (48.6%), Kibra (45.2%), Dagoretti North (44.4%), Dagoretti South (49.3%), Westlands (51.1%), Roysambu (50.3%), Kasarani (38.6%), Ruaraka (49.3%), Kamukunji (40.1%), Embakasi Central (46.4%), Embakasi West (51.3%), Embakasi East (37.3%), and Embakasi North (46.8%).

If elections were held today, 25.2% of the city residents would vote back Passaris as Nairobi County Woman Representative, while 21.3% won’t support her reelection bid.