BONYO'S BONE: Passaris na perfume

These are not just numbers, they represent families, they are our neighbours and colleagues.

Closer home, they are children, men and women whose lives were cut short, and these deaths, we have to admit, were preventable. What was missing in all this was leadership that understands, leadership that feels and cares.

We must also agree that Nairobi is not short of leaders, from the county assembly to the Senate, National Assembly to the county executive, it is fully represented. But in moments like this, leadership is not about titles, it is about something greater, presence, empathy and responsibility.

In times of crisis, the leadership rulebook demands sobriety, compassion and emotional intelligence.

For the last two weeks, I have been searching for that, looking for one Nairobi leader who would rise above politics and show basic courtesy to residents, not deflect or justify, but lead.

Esther Muthoni Passaris is Nairobi’s Woman Representative, a leader elected by the people, entrusted with legislation, oversight and representation. Her job is simple in theory, to make laws that improve lives, hold government accountable and speak for the people of Nairobi.

I understand that the role of a Member of Parliament is tasking and may be intellectually daunting. I am also made to understand that these offices are sufficiently staffed with men and women to stand in the gap of these challenges to make it work.

But it seems for Esther, in the middle of a humanitarian crisis, there is another role competing for attention, she is influencing. Well, we all love a side gig here and there.

But timing is everything, Muthoni. Over 50,000 households are grappling with the aftermath of floods, families are mourning and public schools are struggling to function, especially with end-term examinations around the corner.

The message coming through is not one of comfort that we need, but of an insecure sense of self-importance.

While residents count their losses, you are encouraging them to shop and smell nice, to visit malls and indulge.

At a time when Nairobi is drowning, literally and figuratively, leadership appears disconnected. What a tragedy. Leadership is not just about power, it is about emotional intelligence.

Read the room, Esther. Understand the pain of city residents, know when to speak and what to say. Even in disagreement, even in political rivalry, leadership demands empathy.

In moments like this, the office of the Nairobi Woman Representative should be a place of comfort for grieving families, displaced households and struggling public schools, not a platform that feels out of touch with reality.

Nairobi residents are not asking you for miracles, they are asking for awareness and empathy. They are asking for leadership that reflects their pain.

At the moment, as a leader, you have failed to read the moment, you have missed the mark and that disconnect is dangerous.

That is my bone tonight.