Nairobi governor Mike Sonko yesterday came out guns blazing as he took State House head on, blaming top officials for his City Hall woes.
The governor specifically turned the heat on Interior Permanent Secretary Karanja Kibicho, accusing him of orchestrating corruption scandals in Nairobi county government in a bid to oust him.
Sonko, who is accused of misappropriating money meant for development, said he is ready to face Kibicho and other State House officials reportedly out to dislodge him. “I am not a coward and I am ready to face them head on. I will fight them till the end,” he said.
And he sensationally claimed that State House had dispatched President Uhuru Kenyatta’s personal aide Jomo Gecaga and Nairobi politician Reuben Ndolo to beseech him not to address journalists over his woes. Gecaga and Ndolo were seen at Sonko’s private office in Upper Hill where they had a two-hour private meeting with the controversial governor.
Other sources in Sonko’s office, however, intimated that Gecaga and Ndolo were on a mission to try to quell the tension between Sonko and Kibicho.
Gecaga had arrived at Sonko offices shortly after midday and headed straight for the talks with the governor. “I have been told to cancel the press conference. Top State House officials have told me not to address you today. May be we shall set it for a later date,” Sonko said.
Later, the chairman of Water Resources Authority Joe Mutambu joined Sonko and Ndolo for another closed-door meeting. Since his election, there has been no love lost between Sonko and Kibicho with the governor consistently accusing the latter of plot to have him impeached.
Kibicho has dismissed ouster claims, including accusations that he was behind the withdrawal of the governor’s extra security detail.
Matters got worse when Sonko eased out of City Hall officials believed to have been appointed through intervention of State House.
First to leave City Hall was his deputy Polycarp Igathe, who resigned due to what was widely seen as frustrations from the governor. It was later said the frustrations were stage-managed to push Igathe out due to his State House connections.
Second to go was county secretary Paul Kariuki who had survived the first attempt after State House intervention. Kariuki, a former State House official, was at one time arrested under circumstances suspected to have been instigated by the governor.
Other officials believed to have had State House connections that were shown the door included Janet Ouko (Education CEC), Vaska Kangogo (Devolution CEC), Hitan Majevdia (Health CEC) and Beatrice Elachi (Assembly Speaker), who was reinstated by a Nairobi court yesterday.