This archive report was first published on 5 August 2019.
On August 5, 2019, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko made headlines with the launch of a telephone hotline for women to report politicians who have abandoned them.
The hotline, which can be reached at 0722886600 or 0739555555, is a response to Sonko's recent actions at the requiem mass of the late Kibra MP, Ken Okoth.
At the funeral, Sonko introduced Kenya to Ken Okoth's lover and their love child, sparking outrage from Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo, who accused him of seeking cheap publicity.
However, Sonko fired back at Millie, bringing up the fact that she is childless, and in a speech that has been widely quoted, he said:
“If by speaking the truth is what people are calling Bonga points then so be it. We must speak for the majority of the voiceless women including orphans, widows, divorcees, single mothers and the so-called slay queens,”
Sonko's actions have been met with both praise and criticism, with some hailing him as a champion of women's rights and others accusing him of seeking to exploit the situation for his own gain.
