SONKO’S TOUGH MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNMENT

Troubles for Governor Mike Sonko, arguably the most influential Nairobi politician, continue to pile up.

Sonko feels that “the system” has stabbed him in the back with the matter of his impeachment due for determination in a matter of four days.

Efforts to kick him out started last Thursday when a notice of impeachment motion was tabled at the county assembly based on four charges including gross violation of the Constitution and abuse of office.

His refusal to assent to the Sh37.5 billion Nairobi City County Appropriation Bill, 2020 that gives Sh27.3 billion to NMS is said to be among the main reasons for the bid to remove him from the helm of City Hall.

He accuses “State House cartels” who want to control the city through the Nairobi Metropolitan Services of being being behind that budget.

He maintains that the budget should have been initiated by his executive.

“The governor is right in his assertion that ‘deep state’ cartels are the ones pushing for his ouster. These are the same people who want to siphon off money through NMS,” a senior City Hall officer who sought anonymity, said.

This is the second time Sonko is facing impeachment after a court saved him last February.

At the time, political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi argued that Sonko is a political asset that people do not understand.

“He is a serious symbol of our national politics and Sonko will survive this political process,” Ngunyi said.

Outwardly, the county boss is unbothered, saying he doesn’t need to be saved from impeachment and that he will not give in to intimidation and blackmail.

“I’m ready to go home. As I said before, there’s life after politics. I don’t need to be saved, I will stand firm like the Senate when they were dealing with the County Revenue Bill,” he said.

“I will not, I shall not and I’m not going to append my signature to give funds to an illegal entity (NMS),” he said.

The senior City Hall official mentioned earlier told the Star that deep state brokers have approached the governor and tried to persuade him to release funds win an assurance that the impeachment will flop.

He alluded to ODM members who allegedly had also tried to persuade Sonko to declare his support for BBI and be saved from the planned ouster.

Sonko’s spokesman Ben Mulwa said his boss’s dilemma remains whichever route he takes.

He agrees with his boss that the Nairobi Metropolitan Services is an illegal entity to which money should not be released.

“Sonko has the option of signing the bill for Sh27.3 billion to be released to NMS for four functions and his office Sh8.4 billion for the six functions he was left with, one being Finance. It doesn’t make sense,” Mulwa said.

He said the governor is not ready to participate in an illegality.

“Sonko will not fall into the trap of releasing funds from a budget created by forces that have been frustrating his administration,” he said.

Mulwa said the governor has no intention of denying services to Nairobi residents.

“The powerful forces want to lead Sonko to a slaughterhouse by making him sign the budget, knowing very well NMS is an illegal entity.

“In case of any errors and inquiry, the person to be interrogated will not be NMS director-general but the person who authorised the money transfer,” he added.

Sonko’s other option is to remain firm with his head high and let the MCAs send him home.

“If Sonko decides not to give in to the demands of the State House cartels he will only suffer one effect and that is impeachment. But he would have saved himself from committing an illegality,” Mulwa said.

The County Government Act says that if a governor is impeached, the deputy automatically takes over.

However, Nairobi has been without a deputy governor since Polycarp Igathe quit in 2018.

Should Sonko be impeached, the speaker will act for 60 days ahead of a by-election.

The anonymous City Hall official said the end game is to have the deep state cartels behind the NMS control Nairobi. The by-election is not part of the plan, he claimed.

“They will claim there is no need to have a by-election since NMS has only a tenure of 24 months. It can take over.”

The summoning of three Sonko allied MCAs – Ann Thumbi, Silvia Museiya and Millicent Jagero – has drawn the line to what extent “the cartels” are willing to go to impeach the governor.

This has created fear among MCAs, knowing if they don’t dance to the tune they will be next on the chopping board.

Director of communications at the governor’s office Elkana Jacob said those allied to Sonko are being intimidate to accede to the cartels’ demands.

“Everyone is of going against the system. If this was a normal situation, the governor has the majority support but they are afraid of the penalties,” he said.

“They have forgotten the public will not rate their performance based on supporting an impeachment,” he said.

A Jubilee MCA who sought anonymity said that some MCAs who were among the 86 that signed last week have started disowning their signatures.

“This time it serious. It seems the agenda was set and must prevail. Some MCAs are living in fear and caught between being loyal to the governor or to send him home,” the MCA said.

MCA Peter Warutere said they will not participate in sending the governor home.

“The situation is bad but we will remain unshaken and stand by the truth. Intimidation cannot work with some of us,” he said.

However, deputy Minority Whip Moses Ogeto said there is no stopping the efforts to send the governor home.

“The plane has taken off and it will land on Thursday. Let no one fool you that the plan is failing,” he said.

Sourced from the Star