Sonko: State House served me alcohol before I surrendered Nairobi to Uhuru
Nairobi governor Mike Sonko now claims he was not in the right frame of mind when he signed the deal to transfer some functions of the county to the national government in February this year.
After a prolonged political battle with insiders and employees at his County government, plus corruption claims and dramatic arrests, Sonko signed a deed of transfer, surrendering a number of devolved functions, including health, transport and planning, to the national government at State House in the presence of President Uhuru Kenyatta last March.
Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa and Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka were also in attendance.
Consequently, President Kenyatta has since appointed Maj Gen Ali Badi to manage these transferred functions as the head of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services.
But Sonko says he was not sober. “I was not sober (when I signed the bill),” Sonko explained during a recent interaction with his followers on Facebook.
“Hawa watu wa State House waliniconfuse na pombe kwanza (some people at State House confused me with some alcohol) by the time I was meeting the President for the signing I was just seeing zigzag.”
When Nairobi News reached State House spokesperson Kanze Dena for comment, she said: “No comment.”
Sonko adds that he still signed the deal out of respect for President Kenyatta.
“However, even if I was drunk, I had to sign because of the respect I have for the President and also both of us meant well for you the Great people of Nairobi.”
The outspoken governor also claims he would consider revoking that contract as per the law.