Abdi Guyo: New darling of Eastlands politics?
Abdi Hassan Guyo has been a phenomenal figure at the Nairobi City County Assembly for the last nine years.
He is currently serving as the majority leader in the drama-prone assembly after serving as the minority leader in the first assembly between the years 2013 and 2017.
Guyo was elected as a councilor for Matopeni ward in 2007 when he was still in his mid 20s and has managed to maneuver the political landscape to become a force to reckon with at City Hall and Nairobi politics at large.
It was not surprising that during the Azimio La Umoja mega rally at the famous Jacaranda grounds in Embakasi,Guyo, together with governor Ann Kananu made a triumphant entry to the chargin of the electrified crowd.
He is eying the Embakasi Central seat that is currently held by Benjamin Mwangi alias Major Dong in a contest described as a battle of titans.
Guyo is a die-hard supporter of President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Jubilee party which he is going to use to contest the parliamentary seat.
Dickson Mwaniki,a resident of Kayole Junction and a voter in Embakasi Central told the Times that the candidature of Guyo is a major threat to Major Ndong.
He said that Guyo’s campaigns have been the game changer, raising the campaign value and costs a notch higher.
” He is a prolific force and a favourite to be ghe the next Embakasi Central MP.
While Guyo’s community from Isiolo does not command meaningful numbers in Nairobi,he has personally mastered the art of working with everyone regardless of the tribe.
Embakasi Central is mostly dominated by the Kikuyu,Luhya and Luo tribes,a factor that has made his campaign trail to be people driven.
Guyo is fast rising as a critical and magnificent player in the Azimio La Umoja Nairobi team.
He has become a household name in Embakasi and a hotcake for aspirants seeking bigger seats in the capital city.
At City Hall where he is a leader, he is considered a heavyweight in the corridors of power.He enjoys unrivaled support from the county government and the rest of the MCAs.
Guyo is campaigning on the platform of enhancing security, fixing water problems and improving education standards in the constituency. Street lighting,job creation and more community support programs have informed his manifesto.
The question many are asking is if he can defy all odds to become a political heavyweight in the larger Embakasi area and Nairobi in general.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino is the most famous among Eastlands MPs but he is facing strong opposition from rivals.
Last month, Kikuyu elders endorsed Guyo for the parliamentary seat.
Guyo received the elders’ blessings to take up leadership of Embakasi Central which includes five electoral wards: Kayole North, Kayole Central, Kayole South, Komarock, and Matopeni/Spring Valley.
The Kikuyu council of elders under the umbrella of Kiama Kiama endorsed and blessed Guyo to contest for the seat in the upcoming general election.
This came after he was blessed by the Borana Council of Elders led by their chairman Ali Jilo.
Guyo has lately promised to launch an empowerment project in Embakasi Central to improve the lives of women and youths.
His critics feel that he has taken a major risk, noting that Nairobi voters cannot be trusted.
” This is Nairobi and you cannot everything for granted,”
Guyo has told his supporters that he is confident of winning and becoming the next president
A recent survey has tipped Guyo as favourite in the Embakasi Central parliamentary race.
The survey put Guyo ( Jubilee) ahead with 39.6 percent with the current MP Benjamin Mwangi( UDA) following closely with 36.7 % .
Roselyn Ochieng was ranked third with 12.7% with June Ndegwa at 5.2 %.
Guyo is banking on the new look Jubilee to win the seat for the first time.
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