Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko’s battle with the national government and the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) seems to be far from over.
The seemingly vexed Sonko has now vowed to defy government guidelines on the distribution of food to vulnerable families which require one to channel his or her donation through the National Emergency Response team.
On Tuesday, April 28, the Nairobi county boss distributed relief food to vulnerable families across city estates that have been hit hard with hunger and starvation.
“Despite the ban of rendering essential services like fumigation, distribution of food and giving free masks to the public, we’ve today decided to defy the directive by Interior PS Karanja Kibichoas we wait for the constitutional court’s outcome in an application we lodged yesterday,” he said.
The governor who was seething with rage said he was tired of intimidation, noting he was ready to pay the ultimate price for his actions. He dared senior government officers who have been frustrating his work to come and arrest him instead of issuing threats.
“SonkoRescueTeam as a recognized NGO will donate foodstuffs to the people of Nairobi from Githogoro slums & Karura Ward. Let them come and arrest us. Punda sasa imechoka kama mbaya wacha iwe mbaya (Let it be as it may, I’m tired) even President Uhuru before akuwe Rais alipigwa teargas while defending hawkers in CBD,” said the governor.
Sonko has been at loggerheads with the national government ever since he signed a Deed of Transfer that effectively surrendered four key county functions to the state, resulting in the formation of NMS.
The transition has been noisy with the Nairobi leader trying to block some procedures required to complete the transfer deal. He asked county workers to ignore a memo asking them to terminate their contract with City Hall and sign a new contract with the NMS in line with the Deed of Transfer deal.
Sonko has also refused to sign a KSh 15 billion budget allocated to the metropolitan team led by General Mohammed Badi. On the other hand, his donations and charity works have been frustrated by people he has been linked to Interior PS Karanja Kibicho.
Sanitations booths he erected in various parts of the city were destroyed by unknown people in what has escalated the tug of war in the city. So bad is the situation that the governor recently threatening to pull out of the agreement over what he termed as continuous frustrations from senior government officers attached to the office of the president.
