OPINION: Sifuna, Babu Owino’s attacks on Sakaja uncalled for
The recent outbursts by Nairobi Senator Edwina Sifuna and Embakasi East lawmaker on Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja are uncalled for.
The two leaders, who’ve taken to personal attacks on the county boss are unwarranted and not in line to service delivery to the people of Nairobi who elected them.
As his opponents unleash one verbal attack after the other, Sakaja has been working round the clock to fulfill election pledges he made to the electorate, one after the other.
This as he plans to ease the challenges facing Nairobians, particularly in the low income areas.
Word has it that Babu Owino harbours ambitions of unseating Sakaja come 2027 albeit seen as a pipe dream by those in the know of how elections in Nairobi are won.
Last week, Babu Owino accused Sakaja of owning nothing prior to his election as Governor, “save for his dimples” in a swipe that has been interpreted as an attack on the governor’s physical appearance, as opposed to what the legislator should criticise, which is service delivery.
The youthful Owino, real name Paul Ongili also appeared to shed doubt on the Governor’s academic qualifications.
The attacks directed at Sakaja seemed to not only demean Sakaja’s physical appearance but also his credentials and character.
Ironically, Babu Owino, who supposedly hails from the lake basin region, has never been discriminated upon based on his physical appearance.
On the other hand, Senator Sifuna, during an interview on Mic Cheque podcast, accused Sakaja of being inaccessible. The Nairobi Senator accused Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja of ignoring his calls, saying they are not friends but leaders elected to serve the same people.
“The problem I have with him (Sakaja) is that he thrives in a lot of PR (public relations). If you sit with him he makes very many empty promises. You see if someone did their job… we don’t have to be friends. We can be cordial. When I call him he doesn’t pick my calls yet I’m his Senator. Sakaja does not fulfill what has been agreed upon in discussions,” Sifuna lamented.
However, Sifuna’s complaints can be attributed to the failure by Governor Sakaja to give to demands on him.
Sifuna, who in 2023, was a top supporter of the Sakaja administration’s ‘Dishi Na County’ school feeding program has since turned to an erstwhile critic of the program.
According to sources close to the Governor, both Sifuna and Babu Owino have tried on numerous times to get audience with the county boss for personal gain only to receive unconvincing responses.
“When Sifuna says that Sakaja does not fulfill what has been agreed upon in discussions, he is simply whining because Governor Sakaja has refused to give in to his demands. If Sifuna was calling Sakaja on development matters, the governor could be picking up his calls. After all, Sakaja is in constant communication with other Members of Parliament and MCA’s so why do you think Senator Sifuna’s calls supposedly go unanswered?” posed an MCA close to the Governor.
According to Sifuna, the Governor has mastered the art of public relations politics at the expense of serving electorate. T
he ODM secretary general clarified that he is not seeking friendship with Sakaja, as long as he fulfills his commitment to the people of Nairobi but our sources pointed at strained relations due to business deals that did not happen.
The writer Kenn Okaka is a Media and Communications Consultant .