Sonko reunites with Uhuru and Badi, campaigns for Igathe

Nairobi's political environment on Tuesday witnessed unusual turn of events after former governor Mike Sonko reunited with President Uhuru Kenyatta and NMS boss Mohammed Badi.

Sonko had never seen eye to eye with the two since uneventful ouster from office in 2020 which he largely blamed on the State. 

But in a surprising twist, the flamboyant politician joined the two and his successor Ann Kananu on a development tour of Nairobi Tuesday when he lauded the President for the development he had brought to Nairobi through the Nairobi Metropolitan Service.

“I would like to thank President Uhuru Kenyatta for the time I have been outside government I have seen he has done development from building hospitals and roads and that is good work,” Sonko said.

For the development to continue in Nairobi, the former Governor urged City residents to vote for Azimio six piece in the August polls.

"To support and thank out President, we have to make sure we vote for Azimio candidates from Governor to MCA," Sonko added.

He spoke in Embakassi East where Uhuru commissioned five newly built hospitals.

Sonko took advantage and drummed up support for Azimio's Nairobi governor candidate Polycarp Igathe.

While insisting that he will be on the ballot to succeed Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, Sonko said he will still monitor the development in Nairobi.

"Ata nikiwa gavana kule Mombasa Badi nitakuwa naangalia kazi hapa Nairobi (Even when a Governor in Mombasa, I will still be monitoring the works in Nairobi),” he stated.

‪Sonko said he had humbled himself and has agreed to work with Uhuru, arguing that he had the interests of Kenyans at heart.

In February 2020, history was made through Executive Order No. 3 of 2020, when Sonko signed a deed of transfer handing core county functions to the national Government.

These are health, transport, public works, utilities and ancillary services, and county planning and development.

This sidelined him to a ceremonial Governor after Uhuru placed the functions under the NMS under the no-nonsense military man, Lieutenant General Badi.

Things started taking a turn for the worse for the former senator when he started fighting Badi in August 2020 when he refused to sign a supplementary budget which was necessary for the NMS to embark on various projects as directed by the President.

What followed was an impeachment motion which was ‘blessed’ by the State would then be brought on December 3, 2020 and despite his spirited efforts, he would be voted out by 88 MCAs against only two in his support.

The Senate upheld the impeachment on December 17, 2020 resulting in Sonko's removal from office.

Not one to go down without a fight, Sonko sought court's intervention maintaining he was illegally impeached. He lost the case. 

Unwilling to give up on politics, Sonko made a come back by resigning from the Jubilee party on claims that he was maliciously removed from office under the watch of the President.

He joined Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Movement Party as a life member where he was given the ticket to run for Mombasa gubernatorial seat.

Sonko got a huge relief last week when the High Court sitting in Mombasa stopped the IEBC from printing ballot papers for the governor’s race until his case is heard and determined.

This is after the IEBC refused to clear him to vie on the basis of integrity issues following his impeachment. 

The former Nairobi governor also had his prayers answered when the court stopped Wiper from replacing him as its candidate for the Mombasa governor race.

Wiper wanted Sonko to be Ali Mbogo’s running mate.

“I will continue fighting in line with the law. I'm not a person who gives up easily,” he said.

(Edited by R Wanjala)