Hospitality and telecommunication businessman Simon Komu during an engagement with voters in Westlands Constituency, Nairobi/HANDOUTHospitality and telecommunication businessman Simon Komu has entered the race for the Westlands parliamentary seat in Nairobi.
Komu has announced he will run for the seat on the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
His entry complicates the race for the parliamentary seat that has so far attracted several aspirants, including former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi and Mike Gumo, the son of former long-serving Wetlands MP Fred Gumo.
The current MP, Tim Wanyonyi, plans to run for the Bungoma gubernatorial seat, leaving the Westland’s seat open.
Speaking during a people meet tour, Komu said top of his vision is to improve education stands in the area including helping build more secondary schools in all the constituencies' five wards.
“We currently have less than five secondary schools in Westlands. Like in Karura ward, we have no single secondary school; it only has Hospital Hill School, which is a boarding school and hosts a lot of students who are not locals. Once elected, I will ensure we contract one fully equipped school in every ward,” said Komu.
Hospitality and telecommunication businessman Simon Komu addresses residents of Westlands Constituency in Nairobi/HANDOUT
He added he will also ensure equitable distribution of bursaries to ensure all children in the constituency have access to education.
To enhance education standards in the area, Komu is currently implementing a programme dubbed Soma na Komu, which involves the distribution of books and stationery to needy pupils and students in all the schools.
Komu said he is through the initiative targeting 10,000 pupils and students from humble and needy backgrounds.
The aspirant added he will also if elected be in the frontline in lobbying both the county and national government in construction of more hospitals in the area which are lacking.
In health, Komu said he will lead efforts to improve health and sanitation including drainage systems more so in the several informal settlements within the constituency.
“We have a number of informal settlements in Westlands which grapple with issues of health and sanitation and drainage systems. In fact, half of the constituency's population lives in yet the electoral area is regarded as one of the richest in Nairobi and the entire country,” he added.
Some of the informal settlements in Westlands include Githogoro, Kibarage, Deep Sea among others.
Komu who is a resident of Karura ward, is not a greenhorn in politics, having in the past served as the Ndarugo Members of County Assembly (MCA) in Gatundu South in the inaugural County Assembly in 2013-2017 after promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
During his tenure as MCA, Komu rose to become the first majority leader at the Kiambu County Assembly. He was also elected the National Chairman of the TNA MCAs Caucus.
An astute businessman, Komu has been living and doing business in Westlands for the last 15 years.
Komu seeks to break the dominance of the Orange Democratic Party (ODM) dominance in Westlands which has won the MP seat for the last 20 years under Fred Gumo, and Tim Wanyonyi is currently serving his third term having first been elected in 2013
Gumo was elected in ODM ticket in 2007 before retiring in politics in 2013. He was first elected in 1994 by-election.
