Nairobi governor frontrunners incumbent Evans Kidero of ODM and Senator Mike Sonko of Jubilee tore into each other on Sunday, saying each had failed the county.
Kidero questioned Sonko’s ability to govern, saying the senator has failed to protect and defend the county for the four years he has been in office.
Sonko accused the governor of failing residents, despite the billions of shillings the county has received from revenue collection and the national government.
They met during a Citizen Radio debate for governor candidates. Other candidates did not show up.
“The current county government has proved unable to work for the people. Nairobi residents pay the highest taxes. The county collects billions of shillings from rates and levies and a lot of money from the national government. But the governor cannot tell us what he has done with it,” he said.
Kidero said Sonko has not fought for the county to recover the Sh72 billion the state owes it.
“Sonko had a role to defend devolution. He did not protect the rights and money of Nairobi people. What makes him think he will be able to run the county?” he asked. Sonko said the governor has abetted corruption at City Hall, failed to tackle the traffic mess and cannot point to a single project he has initiated. NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s former legal adviser Miguna Miguna, former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth and financial expert Godfrey Wanyoike are also in the race.
Sonko said the Kidero administration has run down health facilities and has neglected youth and women.
“I’m telling my brother he can go home and rest and leave us to work for the people of Nairobi. In fact, we will appoint Kidero the minister of corruption,” he said. Sonko said he will build bus stations outside the city centre and multi-story parking structures in the CBD to curb traffic problems .
He promised to build and equip hospitals in the every subcounty.
But Kidero said what Sonko proposes has already been accomplished by his administration. He cited new busb parks in Ngara, Pangani and Park Road and 17 operating health centres.