Embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko is now blaming his woes on powerful individuals in the presidency who out to control lucrative county tenders at the City Hall.
He is appealing to President Uhuru Kenyatta to recall Nairobi Metropolitan Services director general Maj-Gen Mohamed Badi who he further claimed is being used to intimidate him to surrender and let the powerful siphon from county coffers. “Problems are created by cartels in the Office of the President - people who want to bring their law firms; people who want to bring their contractors to do business,” Sonko said. The flashy governor argues that Badi's military background does not resonate with the people of Nairobi leading to a vacuum that is negatively impacting on service delivery. “The problem is the military man. The President should give us someone who understands wananchi,” he added. Governor Mike Sonko and Eugene Wamalwa signing the Deed of Transfer. [p/courtesy] Sonko said the deed of transfer he signed with the Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa in presence of the president has been hijacked by the operatives for selfish interests.
He also accused the operative of playing divide and rule game under disguise of NMS and a section of MCAs to paint him as a failed governor. The governor admits that he needed the support of the national government to implement certain programmes since the order barring from accessing his office has been an hindrance to effective service delivery. Sonko has been at loggerheads with Gen. Badi, the head of NMS that is now calling shots in the capital. He has accused Badi of threatening and belittle him which is creating a ‘competition-like’ relationship between NMS and the county government. The governor was angered by the recent takeover of the mayor’s residence in Lavington, appointment of a new board at the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company and seconding county staff to NMS without consultations.
Sonko insists he is the man in charge of the county government despite signing away the functions.
But his relationship with the County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi has also hit rock bottoms but he downplayed it saying that it Elach who changed is now against him returning to office.
“I helped her to come back to office. She decided to change because I have a court case,” he said.