Nairobi gubernatorial aspirants Peter Kenneth (third from left) and Evans Kidero (second from right). [PHOTO/standardmedia.co.ke]

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Nairobi gubernatorial race is set to be the epicenter of all political battles pitting jubilee and NASA coalitions.

For starters, NASA has the incumbent governor in Dr Evans Kidero as its protagonist for the county job.

Nobody within NASA ranks has emerged to challenge the former Mumias Sugar CEO in the opposition primaries.

Jubilee on other side has Dagoreti South MP Dennis Waweru, nominated MP Jackson Sakaja, Nairobi senator Mike Sonko, former MPs Margaret Wanjiru (Starehe) and Peter Kenneth (Gatanga) jostling for a ticket to take on Kidero.

Albeit being a later comer, Kenneth appears to carry favour within Jubilee ranks judging from his latest political entourage led by Starehe MP Maina Kamanda and Nairobi Women Rep Rachael Shebesh.

Kenneth appears to be the man Jubilee wants for the Nairobi top job for three reasons:

First, he comes from Muranga, a county whose natives literally own Nairobi economically.

Second, Kenneth is viewed by Mt Kenya power brokers as the rightful heir to Uhuru hence the Nairobi job is just but a strategy to put him in a politically viable position to take over upon the president's retirement.

Lastly, Kenneth's illustrious tenure as Gatanga MP is his selling point. Besides, his gentle and amiable mien makes him acceptable to other communities.

Back to my point, Nairobi has been profiled as a battleground for the two antagonistic coalitions by political pundits; and this was the case for in 2013, of the 17 parliamentary seats, Jubilee garnered 10 as opposed to 7 for Cord.

In addition, the ruling coalition won the Women Rep and senatorial slots as Cord escaped with the gubernatorial seat.

Pundits opine that in the last Mass Voter Registration, Jubilee effected more voter transfer to Nairobi than NASA.

This was mainly because most constituencies that border the Capital are Jubilee strongholds of Kabete, Kiambu, Kikuyu and Ruiru.

Cord, on the other hand, is banking on the decisive majority of NASA allied communities to dictate terms in Nairobi politics.

The truth is, Nairobi county's elective seats will be won by the coalition that commands the numerical advantage and most of all, the one that will command the better voter turn out.