Sonko's scorecard after two years in office

Two years today (Wednesday ) Mike Mbuvi  Sonko solemnly swore to reclaim Nairobi's lost glory.

Sonko had just been sworn in as the governor of Kenya's capital city at a Uhuru Park ceremony attended by among others President Uhuru Kenyatta.

He became the city's second governor since devolution, taking over from the now embattled Evans Kidero.

He promised efficient and timely services to city residents.

The following is his scorecard two years later.

Infrastructure

Potholes have been fixed in some parts of the city, especially Eastlands and Westlands. About 30 estate roads have been re-carpeted. This has been done in collaboration with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority city.

There are 58 ongoing road projects in the county expected to completed by December this year. Thirty-eight roads fall under the Nairobi Regeneration Programme. Phase two of the project is due for completion in December this year.

The completed roads include Kahuho Road in Waithaka-Riruta, Muthiora Road, Lumumba Drive, an access road to Maji Mazuri, Bishop Ireri Road, Manyanja Road and Matopeni Road.

The projects are aimed at fulfilling the county integrated development plan as well as the annual development plan which is anchored on the vision 2030.

Beautification

Sonko's Nairobi beautification project has contributed to the greening of the city.

Grass, trees and flowers have been planted on landscaped roundabouts, Uhuru Highway and Jogoo Road in the past year.

The governor says he was financing the beautification until last December when the county assembly allowed an expenditure of Sh296 million on the project in its 2018-2019 Supplementary budget.

The grass, plants and flowers are regularly weeded and watered.

Health

The health sector has been transformed radically in a span of one year.

At Mama Lucy Hospital, the number of patients has increased to 314,000 from 214,150 in 2017 while the number of outpatients at Mbagathi Hospital has risen from 98,471 in June 2017 to 113,916.

Pumwani Maternity Hospital has been upgraded and the number of deliveries has risen to 19,267 from 11,169 in two years.

A cold room is among some of its added facilities.

A medicine storage room and an unused matron’s house have been converted into 100-bed capacity wards.

The surgical ward was renovated and now has a bed capacity of 60, a new theatre, modern bathrooms with hot water showers and new beddings.

The facility has a milk bank and is now one of the 600 such banks globally.

Pumwani has installed a pasteurizer that can hold up to 9.4 million litres, two fridges and four freezers with a 240-litre capacity.

Mbagathi Hospital received a Renal Unit and five ultra-modern dialysis machines for kidney patients.

In the public hospital category, only Kenyatta National, Moi Teaching and Referral and Coast General hospitals had such equipment.

Kayole 2 Sub-County hospital had a facelift of its maternity wing while Mukuru  Medical Centre was supplied with modern maternity hospital beds and ultrasound scan printer.

Baba Dogo clinic was among such health centres upgraded.

Education

In June 2018 Sonko introduced free Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) programme at a cost of Sh2.9 million.

The county partnered with Brookside Dairy to supply free milk to children in the centres.

Enrolment of children in the centres has since risen from 13,000 to 21,800.

Governance

Sonko's leadership style remains a matter of concern. It is often characterised by confusion. The county chief has reshuffled his cabinet five times since August 2017.

All the 10 CECs have at least served in two different dockets since they were sworn in.

The Finance department has had five CECs.

Chief officers are similarly moved from one department to another. Some of them serve in acting capacities.

In April, Sonko sneaked back two of his CECs after he suspended them last September over insubordination.

Currently the 10-member cabinet includes Charles Kerich (Finance), Mohammed Dagane (Health), Allan Igambi (Trade), Newton Munene (ICT and E-government), Lucia Mulwa (Education), Winfred Kahiga (Lands and Housing), Hitan Majevdia (Transport), Vesca Kangogo (Environment and Water), Larry Wambua (Devolution) and Pauline Kahiga (Agriculture).

Those serving in acting capacities are Leboo Morintat (county secretary), Peter Mugo (chief of staff) and Christine Ireri (county attorney).

The governor often complains that some of his officers are corrupt, but he is yet to sack them.

His numerous social media posts make it clear that he is aware of all "transactions" that happen behind his back.

His threats to send home lazy and disloyal executives and chief officers have been all words with no action.

Sonko has only sent home four members of his cabinet - former county attorney Lydia Kwamboka, former county secretary Peter Kariuki, former Finance CEC Danvas Makori and former Health chief officer Mahat Jimale in his two-year leadership.

He has spurned calls to appoint a deputy governor since the resignation of Polycrp Igathe in January last year.

He told a Senate oversight committee and the Supreme Court advisory team on the issue that the matter was a "non-issue". He accused the senators of failing to pass legislation to guide governors on the appointment of deputies in case of vacancies arising.

He has said that the position will be filled by a woman.

His plan to decongest the Central Business District has backfired, and so has the relocation of hawkers. He hardly talks about the issues.

But the City Inspectorate officers are always chasing hawkers from the CBD. The traders always return.  They are supposed to be relocated to Mwaririro market which has been under construction for the past year.

Sonko has repeatedly failed to block matatus from accessing the CBD.

On December 3, 2018, Nairobi became chaotic after the governor banned matatus from accessing the CBD. Tens of thousands of workers walked to the city centre from distant termini outside the CBD.

This was reversed in less than 24 hours. Sonko relented and the "matatu madness" continues.