Nairobi is not a training ground for failed politicians. It is not a dumping site for party loyalists who need soft landings. It is not a stage for public relations stunts disguised as leadership. Nairobi is a city of over five million people whose lives are disrupted daily by incompetence masquerading as governance.

Let us stop pretending.

Garbage choking estates is not a mystery. Water rationing in a city with rivers and revenue is not an accident. Insecurity, collapsing infrastructure, and hostile public services are not acts of God. They are the direct outcome of leadership that lacks seriousness, vision, and respect for citizens.

The Diaspora Times believes Nairobi has been governed too long by improvisation and arrogance, and that this must end.

It is for this reason that we publicly call on Pauline Njoroge to step forward and offer herself for leadership in Nairobi, including the position of Deputy Governor.

This is not flattery. It is a challenge to the status quo.

Nairobi’s crisis is not about personalities alone, but about a culture that rewards loyalty over competence, silence over accountability, and optics over outcomes. The city has become a laboratory for political experiments where residents are expected to adapt to failure instead of leaders correcting it.

That culture must be confronted, not managed.

Pauline Njoroge represents a sharp break from this decay. She is politically seasoned, policy-aware, and unafraid of scrutiny. Unlike many who occupy public office today, she understands that leadership is not about applause lines but about systems that work without drama. She understands power, how it is negotiated, how it is abused, and how it can be restrained in service of the public good.

Let us be clear. Nairobi does not need another cheerleader for mediocrity. It needs someone capable of asking difficult questions inside City Hall, not defending dysfunction outside it. The role of Deputy Governor demands spine, not submission. It demands someone who can challenge procurement rot, demand performance metrics, and insist that public money must be traceable, measurable, and justified.

Too many leaders fear transparency because it exposes incompetence.

Pauline Njoroge’s strength lies precisely where the current system is weakest, clarity, communication, and accountability. In an era where leadership hides behind confusion, she brings coherence. In a city where public engagement is treated as noise, she understands that listening is power.

Nairobi’s youth are not unemployed because they lack ambition. They are excluded by systems designed to benefit cartels. Women are not underrepresented because they lack capacity. They are locked out by networks allergic to merit. Informal settlements are not chaotic by nature. They are neglected by choice.

Any leader uncomfortable with these truths has no business governing this city.

The Diaspora Times is fully aware that calling for new leadership unsettles those invested in the current disorder. That is precisely the point. Nairobi cannot be rescued by those who benefit from its collapse. It requires leaders willing to disrupt comfort, offend entitlement, and prioritize citizens over brokers.

We are not calling for perfection. We are calling for seriousness.

Pauline Njoroge should step forward, not because the city owes her anything, but because the city desperately needs leaders who owe it honesty, competence, and courage. Nairobi deserves leadership that governs, not performs.

The time for excuses is over.
The era of political recycling must end.
And capable Kenyans must stop waiting for permission to lead.

DISCLAIMER

This editorial represents the independent opinion of The Diaspora Times. It is not sponsored, not commissioned, and does not reflect the personal views or intentions of Pauline Njoroge or any political party. The publication does not claim that Pauline Njoroge has declared, announced, or consented to any candidacy. This piece is an editorial recommendation aimed at stimulating public debate on leadership, governance, and accountability in Nairobi.

Arch Dr. D.K. Gitau Chief Editor The Diaspora Times

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