THE FALL OF GOVERNOR SONKO

There are no permanent enemies or friends in politics is a phrase that captures perfectly the Kenyan political sphere.

On Thursday 8th of October in 2014, Nairobi governor led a team of Kenyans who embarrassed themselves in the streets of Hague. Hague may be the headquarters of the International Criminal Court but the city is not involved on what happens inside the court. The calm residents were shocked to see people writhing in ground and spewing insults in a foreign language. Many did not know a country by the name of Kenya leave alone visiting it.

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Sonko defended Uhuru vehemently albeit using theatrics that couldn’t help him win the case of his lifetime. To get away from the jaws of ICC, Uhuru had to depend on professionals and lady luck.

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Sonko felt that Uhuru had become his best friend. He would take every second to remind Kenyans that he was a personal friend to the president. He once even alluded that he was the second in command.
When he tried to stop a building being demolished in South B, he called the president and put him on loudspeaker. He wasn’t even courteous enough to tell the President that he was on loudspeaker. Afterwards he would say, “The president is my friend…I put him on speaker call because I have confidence on him…We talk every two days…He is the most accessible president in the world.”

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The cracks in this illusional friendship created by Governor Sonko started to appear when he decided to vie for governor. It’s alleged top people in Jubilee leadership felt that Sonko would flunk as the CEO of Nairobi County.
The county needed an astute administrator and behaving like a crazy person in the streets of Europe did not bolster your resume.
Sonko was frustrated when it seemed apparent that the system was favouring Peter Kenneth.

For all his faults, Sonko is popular among the ordinary folk. He would go on to win the Nairobi seat with a landslide.

When the president called truce with Raila Odinga, Sonko was not one of the happy lot. It was rumoured he was eyeing to deputise William Ruto in 2022.
The handshake did not come with any brief. That meant the 047 CEO did not know his future in politics. He started popular Team Wanjiku rallies. It did not have any agenda, just a disobedience and dare to the President.

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The corruption cases came calling. The papers he carried to media interviews could not help. The phone recording could not help. The hungry pretending to be angry students outside the court could not help.
Impeachment and prosecution was the only way.
He was to join disgraced former Kiambu governor at the periphery of national discourse until President Uhuru gave him a lifeline.

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He was given an option of handing over the county to national government and be spared of impeachment. Willingly and at the full glare of cameras he appended his signature to the agreement.
He would later claim that he did not know what he was committing to.
Kenyans were worried how many such documents did he sign as the governor of Nairobi. Documents that would define the future of millions that he signed without bothering to read the contents.

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Uhuru gave the county to military man General Badi. A man Sonko could not bully. A man with ice cold eyes who scared a journalist by saying calmly that in military failure is not an option.

Sonko started his fall by praising Uhuru Kenyatta at every occasion while admonishing Badi.
It’s not clear if he was scared of the president or he thought attacking him would irrevocably destroy their relationship.

In the last few days, Sonko has become bold. He is now questioning the wisdom of the president.
A man he went to Hague to defend and the man he claimed to be a personal friend.

The win by Joe Biden might have emboldened him. He thinks a win in the US gives Ruto a fair chance in Kenya. It’s preposterous but with Kenyan politicians nothing can amaze you.

Giddy from a win happening a thousand miles away, Governor Sonko tweeted, “Nairobi Super Governor who is also the President of the Republic of Kenya and commander in chief of Defence forces Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and Saddam Hussein really overworking in Pipeline Embakasi South Constituency. Keep up with the good job.”

Maybe this behaviour might be the reason the president has kept a wide berth from him. Even if Ruto wins in 2022, he might decide Governor Sonko is too loose a canon to keep around.