• Governor challenged to table evidence that the legislator was paid per diem twice.
• The rep says she will ensure that her latest encounter with Sonko is the last time he used falsehood to bring down a woman.
The political spat between Esther Passaris and Mike Sonko was reignited yesterday after the Woman Representative dismissed the governor as a liar.
"It's shameful for one to knowingly lie, deceive the public online and at the same time refuse to engage the investigative arms of government," Passaris said in reference to Sonko's accusation that she had received per diem twice in 2018.
She challenged the governor to present his evidence to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
Passaris spoke at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on arrival from Canada where she attended a women's conference.
"I would prefer that the governor tables evidence showing that I got the per diem twice. It pains me to even call him governor but I respect the office (he holds)."
Sonko had last Wednesday claimed on Citizen TV's JKL show that he had damning evidence that Passaris was paid per diem by both the national and Nairobi county governments to attend the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) caucus in New York in 2018.
I will confirm with the clerk and speaker (of Parliament) that I never claimed per diem for CSW 2018 in New York from the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) as the governor claimed,” Passaris said.
She said she will use the law to ensure that her latest encounter with Sonko will be last time he used falsehood to try to bring down a woman.
She said she will present her complaint to the DCI, the National Gender and Equality Commission and the EACC as she feels her right as a woman has been violated.
"If I don't stand to defend my rights as a woman, then how will I stand to defend the rights of other women?" she asked.
"I was elected by 860,000 people of Nairobi and none of my votes was stolen. I hold my head high as a leader who is a woman, a mother, a child and also a wife," Passaris said, adding that Kenya is not a country of mob justice through social media platforms.
The two politicians' wrangling became public on Madaraka Day at Pumwani Secondary School after Sonko made the “ mimi si bwana yako nishike simu zako wakati unatakayo" remark after Passaris questioned the governor's use of public money.
Sonko came up with "other disclosures" on social media last week.
"I chose not to answer back Sonko at that time. When a woman is abused in public and she chooses not to respond there is always the perception that she is guilty. I will not go down that road because I choose to act with integrity and respect the Kenya Constitution," Passaris said.
The Woman Rep cautioned the young generation not to take joyrides on social media as women are attacked.