A section of Nairobi MCAs and groups allied to Mike Sonko have told Governor Ferdinand Waititu to keep off the city’s affairs and concentrate on his backyard -Kiambu.
Led by Waithaka MCA Anthony Kiragu, the leaders were responding to remarks by the Kiambu governor on 14-seater matatus.
Waititu on Sunday vowed that “they will not allow certain people” who do not have the interest of Nairobi residents at heart to govern the capital city.
He further faulted the planned implementation of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) project and the suspended ban on matatus from accessing the CBD, saying that the moves would hurt business for those in the transport sector.
The controversial county boss wants the BRT system postponed for a decade to allow for adequate preparations.
“Such decisions are detrimental to the sector and hurt masses who use matatus daily. Someone tell Sonko you cannot run such a county by waking up in the morning and issuing arbitrary and insensitive orders,” Waititu said, adding: “We will not allow, again, Nairobi to go into the hands of somebody who does not care about the livelihood of [our] people.”
Waititu was speaking during a meeting of an association of matatu owners from the metropolitan counties which he is the patron.
However, Sonko’s supporters have come out strongly in his support while threatening to report ‘Baba Yao’ to the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the Office of the DPP.
“We shall present a public petition to NCIC demanding action be taken against Waititu before we proceed to the DPP. It is not the first time he is being accused of hate speech,” said Mark Moses Maina, chairman of Nyamakina Young Traders Association.
Waithaka MCA Anthony Kiragu added: “We are shocked at the ignorance of the governor from Kiambu. We wish to remind you that the law barring 14-seater matatus was passed in the year 2010 while he was the MP for Embakasi. This has nothing to do with the current governor.”
“We are aware he[Waititu] thrives in chaos and madness.”
Former Mwingi Central MP Joe Mutambu told Waititu to let the Nairobi governor carry out his plans to decongest the city and instead concentrate on the affairs of Kiambu County or resign and seek to be the Nairobi governor.
“Let him not run the affairs of Nairobi from Kiambu. Nairobi residents elected their governor and it is upon the people to decide whether they want to keep him or not. If he feels he is a Nairobian, then he should relinquish his position in Kiambu and come and run in Nairobi against Sonko or any other person but not to say that he is not going to let Nairobi to be run by certain people,” said Mr Mutambu.
While Roysambu MCA Peter Warutere said, “Nairobi is not an extension of Kiambu. If the kitchen is too hot for him, allow him to concentrate his attention elsewhere but not in Nairobi.”
The ward reps pledged their support and confidence in Sonko’s leadership.
