Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has one month to reconsider his appointments before assembly sittings resume in February 2023, Nairobi Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) elected on United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket have said.
The MCAs are accusing governor Sakaja of ignoring UDA leadership while making appointments to plum positions at the City Hall. The ward representatives are arguing that the lack of consultation has made it easy for Azimio sympathizers to find their way into Sakaja’s Cabinet. They added that Azimio people have no understanding of the UDA manifesto in Nairobi.
Minority Leader Anthony Kiragu warned the governor that they will issue their next course of action in one month.
“He was elected on a UDA ticket but he has never consulted anyone from the party before making appointments. We are giving him one month to come out and declare that he belongs in the Azimio coalition so that we can know the next course of action,” Kiragu said.
He also told Sakaja to avoid blame games which are derailing his service delivery and focus on solving problems facing Nairobi residents.
“He has taken long to even create his government and there is no tangible development project he has done. He has a budget; why is he not focusing on solving people’s problems? Will he continue to blame former President Uhuru Kenyatta?” Kiragu posed.
The warning comes after the MCAs last week disrupted and walked out of the vetting session for Lighting and Energy Chief Officer nominee Lucky Ogutu Okudo whom they accused of failing to submit her academic papers on time.
Ms Okudo’s nomination was met by mixed reactions after she was captured in videos championing chaos at Bomas of Kenya, the national tallying centre and therefore not fit to serve as a Chief Officer. She is Azimio’s top sycophant.
She was nominated by Sakaja who is currently embroiled in a political war with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua spoke out against the governor’s recent plan to ban matatus from the CBD.
Gachagua went bare-knuckled on Sakaja as he told him to calm down as he claimed that he mobilized members of Kikuyu community in Nairobi to vote for him in August 9 elections. The DP said Sakaja’s plan is not well thought and will destroy the economy of Nairobi.
“I have told the Nairobi Governor that we will have a sitting with him because we are the ones who elected him. I mobilized Kikuyus in Nairobi to vote for him and called him. Any decision that he makes which may affect business in Nairobi, we must first sit and discuss. Hatutaki speedy mingi sana, twende pole pole. Hio maneno ya kutoa matatu, hio haiwezekani. Sitaki tuanze kusumbua wafanyibiashara.” Gachagua said.
The warning by UDA MCAs is seen as escalation of the governor’s spat with Gachagu after a section of Azimio lawmakers from Western Kenya castigated the DP for overstepping his mandate by attempting to micromanage the Nairobi county administration.
Busia woman representative Catherine Omanyo who led the legislators who lashed out at Gachagua, accused the DP of neglecting his duties assigned by President William Ruto to poke his nose on Nairobi county affairs and engaging on backward tribal politics.
