Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko's visit to the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company headquarters took an unexpected turn when employees threatened to lynch him and torch his vehicles for allegedly disrespecting their boss.
Sonko had arrived at the company's offices in Nairobi's Industrial Area, accompanied by bodyguards and supporters, to present a petition from Eastlands residents complaining about contaminated water.
A source at the water company stated that Sonko was questioning the Managing Director, Eng Phillip Gichuki, about not receiving his calls. However, the situation escalated when one of Sonko's bodyguards stopped an employee from accessing the MD's office.
Confrontation Ensues ¶
The employees, who refer to the MD as baba (father), quickly rallied around their boss, and hundreds of them converged on the scene, shouting and asking Sonko's drivers to leave the compound.
Some employees deflated the vehicles, while others blocked the entry and exit points with water tankers. The area police boss was alerted, and upon arrival, he managed to convince the employees to let him in after stating that he was 'on their side'.
The police boss then escorted the MD out of his office to calm the situation. The MD is seen on video asking the employees not to retaliate with violence.
Sonko was briefly roughed up by the employees, who forced him to apologize to the MD and address him as 'father'. He later claimed that he had visited the MD to pay a courtesy call and alert him about land grabbing issues affecting Nairobi Water.
Aftermath ¶
The employees eventually allowed Sonko and his team to leave. The incident highlights the tensions between Sonko and the water company employees, who were fiercely loyal to their MD.
The recovered account cited reporting by Nairobi News.
