BBI signature drive delay leaves city politician disappointed

A Nairobi politician is a disappointed man after President Uhuru Kenyatta postponed the launch of the BBI signatures collection last Thursday. He had fashioned himself as the face of the BBI in the city with an eye on the senatorial seat. He had hoped to shore up his popularity with BBI signatures drive. He feels let down. The politician is said to have spent a fortune in procuring BBI campaign merchandise for the launch of the exercise. He worked closely with a national administrator with whom he had paid groups to attend the launch before the event was called off at the eleventh hour. The politician was overheard complaining that the President had thrown him under the bus at the most critical moment. 

A flip-flopping Nyanza deputy governor has sent tongues wagging about his 2022 plans. The man, who has not been seeing eye to eye with his boss, shocked both friend and foe when he closed ranks with the governor and attended a church service with him. The service was also attended by a Cabinet Secretary and a Principal Secretary. The presence of the CS, whom he had previously accused of intimidating him, threw political analysts into a spin. It is not clear if the governor and his deputy have mended fences and want to work together. However, there are political undertones that the deputy could be seeking reconciliation ahead of 2022 polls.

All may not be well for a wealthy businessman of Asian extraction with a foothold in Nairobi's CBD. It has emerged that the businessman, who specialises in expensive jewellery, is embroiled in a lease agreement tussle with a landlord amounting to Sh5 million. Last week, the landlord obtained court orders which he attempted to serve on the tycoon. But the man locked himself up in his shop and switched off the lights. He was due to renew the lease in March before Covid-19 came knocking. However, the man is not going down without a fight. He has reportedly hired some goons to guard him from being served with court papers.

The declaration by a Mt Kenya senator to succeed a governor in the region has triggered a vicious political fight. The governor feels his succession game plan is at risk and might be shifting the balance of power among the main clans in the county. Stung by the latest and unexpected development, the governor last week hosted some elders from the senator's home as he seeks a truce that would see him honour a 2017 pledge. There are reports the governor could be reaching out to other senior political leaders to persuade the senator to drop his bid.