Sakaja, Sonko clash at Senate grilling session – VIDEO
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja on Wednesday had to defend himself after Governor Mike Sonko accused him of fighting him as part of campaigns for the governership in 2022.
Sonko had told the Senate committee that Senator Sakaja, as a friend, should have raised his concerns to him personally without involving the committee.
“When I was oversighting Kidero in one of these committees there is a time I even went physical because of the real issues we were facing as a county. Yes it is true I wanted to be Nairobi governor, it is also true Sakaja wants to be Nairobi governor but he is playing his cards is wrong,” he said before he was interrupted and asked to support his statement.
DEPUTY GOVERNOR
Sonko was summoned to explain why the County Executive Committee was not fully constituted, including having a deputy governor.
He explained that as a Jubilee governor he has to consult the leadership of his party before appointing a deputy governor.
“If Senator Sakaja was genuine, he could have summoned me, he is my friend and we campaigned together… Before bringing this matter to the committee which I regard as a non-issue…I think there was no need of calling honourable Senators from recces to come deal with this non-issue,” he said.
Sakaja in his defense said he was elected to sit in the Senate and use constitutional methods to oversight operations of Nairobi County.
“The governor is a colleague of mine who we campaigned together with, but when issues are brought to my attention by Nairobians I cannot tell them these ones I discussed them in the evening with my friend…There is a reason I am in this house…that is to prosecute issues brought to my attention…This is not an adversarial proceeding; our work as senators is to protect the interest of counties and devolution,” he said.
ON RECORD
He went to clarify that he has never been on record that he wants to vie for Nairobi governorship as Sonko alleged.
“I have never since the 2017 election declared anywhere that I want to be Nairobi governor, and in any case even the governor has already said he doesn’t wants to be the governor of Nairobi after this election…in any case any Kenyan including myself if ever I wish to vie for the position I’m free to but as for now in any public record I have never made any declaration for that position…I am looking at issues objectively, in fact you are the one who said you almost went physical as senator I’m looking at it objectively as senator who was given the mandate by 847,000 Nairobians and I will continue to exercise my mandate,” he said.