Should the Jubilee Party have fronted Senator Johnson Sakaja for the position of Nairobi governor, instead of Mike Sonko?
Sakaja’s recent success in securing Ksh1.7 billion for the rehabilitation of dilapidated Nairobi roads has elevated the lawmaker to the helm of the city’s leadership, as the county grapples with an unending leadership crisis.
Making an appearance on Citizen TV‘s JKLive segment, Sakaja revealed that it is the convincing power that he holds over President Uhuru Kenyatta, which led to the release of the hefty funds, which are now set to be distributed among all constituencies in Nairobi.
This despite Sonko being ranked higher in terms of power than senator Sakaja, by virtue of being governor.
”Leadership is not about position. Leadership is about influence,” the senator told host Jeff Koinange.
”I was able to just tell the President that, this issue is terrible. People are not moving in the city,” he added, indicating how easy it was for him to fulfil a task that embattled Sonko had failed in for months.
According to Sakaja, overseeing development projects in Nairobi is not part of his job description, but with Governor Sonko locked out of office, and his nominated deputy yet to undergo the vetting process, he was the only one left to save the sinking city.
”Desperate times call for desperate measures. This is not what a senator should be doing but we now have to move beyond those confines,” Sakaja noted.
Of most concern to the president’s close ally was the state of infrastructure in Eastlands’ Pipeline estate, Kikuyu, and Dagoretti constituencies.
The way forward, according to Sakaja, would be collaborating with the national government to expedite road rehabilitation projects for the benefit of city commuters.
Sen. Johnson Sakaja: “I’m glad I was able to secure Ksh.1.7B for roads all across Nairobi…”@KoinangeJeff : How were you able to secure that you are not the governor?
Sen. Johnson Sakaja: “I’m not, Jeff leadership is not position it is influence…” #JKLive pic.twitter.com/YBr5PNlxns
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 22, 2020