Embakasi East Member of Parliament, Babu Owino, has once again sparked debate over the leadership of Nairobi County.
During a live interview with Citizen TV on Wednesday, he compared the past governors of the city and gave his reasons why the first two were not re-elected. He did not hold back when addressing the performance of the current governor, Johnson Sakaja, whom he accused of mismanaging county funds.
Babu Owino explained that Dr. Evans Kidero lost his bid for a second term in 2017 because he failed to deliver on the expectations of Nairobi residents.
According to him, Kidero did not work, which led to his rejection at the ballot. Kidero, who served as the first governor of Nairobi from 2013 to 2017, had promised to improve infrastructure, deal with corruption, and streamline services in the city.
However, his administration was marred by allegations of financial mismanagement and inefficiency, which made him unpopular among voters.
The MP then turned to Mike Sonko, who succeeded Kidero in 2017. He described Sonko as a generous and good leader but said his impeachment was politically motivated. According to Babu Owino, Sonko’s downfall was not due to incompetence or corruption but rather his personal differences with the state.
Sonko, who was known for his flashy lifestyle and populist approach to leadership, was removed from office in December 2020 after being accused of gross misconduct and abuse of office.
His impeachment was highly controversial, with many of his supporters claiming it was orchestrated by powerful forces in government.
Babu Owino did not mince his words when talking about the current governor, Johnson Sakaja. He accused Sakaja of being a failure and engaging in massive corruption. He questioned the governor’s claims of increased revenue collection while highlighting that the Controller of Budget had reported that Nairobi County allocated 0% of its funds to development.
He suggested that Sakaja was only interested in stealing county funds while pretending to be working for the people.These remarks add to the growing criticism of Sakaja’s administration.
Many Nairobi residents have complained about poor service delivery, including uncollected garbage, water shortages, and deteriorating road conditions.
The lack of development projects has also raised concerns about where the county’s money is going.
Babu Owino’s comments reflect the frustrations of many Nairobians who feel that their leaders have repeatedly failed them. His remarks also put pressure on Sakaja to explain how the county’s funds are being used.
With Nairobi playing a crucial role in Kenya’s economy, its leadership remains a topic of national interest, and the debate over its governance is unlikely to end soon.
