GEMA and Kamba endorse Sonko governor bid

Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko’s gubernatorial bid received a boost on Thursday after GEMA and Kamba councils of elders endorsed him for the Nairobi County’s top job.

The elders who include Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Monica Juma and former Ethic and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chairperson Mumo Matemu vowed to campaign for President Kenyatta and Sonko in Nairobi County in the build up to the August 8th polls.

GEMA chairperson Bishop Peter Njenga promised to rally behind the Sonko-Igathe ticket, saying that the former Makadara MP is the best person to steer the county in the right direction.

“We as the elders from the GEMA and Kamba communities are fully behind you and pledge to convince our communities to vote for you decisively,” Bishop Njenga said.

Sonko said small-scale traders, unemployed persons, taxi owners and the poor will benefit if he is elected on August 8th.

He said that his manifesto is anchored on seven pledges that he intends to implement before 2022.

Sonko has promised to de-congest Nairobi’s traffic with the plan being to build building four Main Park and ride stations to serve private motorists who use Thika Road, Mombasa Road, Ngong Road and Waiyaki Way and replacing street parking with sunken car parks and to designate specific drop and pick up points for public service vehicles.

“The spirit of this manifesto is to make Nairobi great again,we will be working hand in hand with Nairobi residents to lift the city from the ashes. I will digitize service delivery, improve working conditions for county staff, hold frequent conventions to update residents on progress, audit county property, establish a register of the county’s assets and recover misappropriated or lost assets,” Sonko said.

He has accused the incumbent Governor Evans Kidero of inefficiency on more than one occasion saying his administration has nothing to show for the billions allocated to the county since the advent of devolution in 2013.

The gubernatorial candidate unveiled his 22-page manifesto on Sunday, July 23, detailing his vision and what he intends to do during his first 100 days in office.

Nairobi is a cosmopolitan county with the City Hall race pitting Sonko against the incumbent, Governor Evans Kidero.

The race is expected to be a tight as a recent poll conducted by research firm Trends and Insights for Africa  indicated that the two enjoy 44 per cent popularity rate in the city.

Later in the day, the Mbele Iko Sawa caravan campaigning for Jubilee candidates led by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria drummed up support for Sonko and asked Nairobi residents to embrace the six piece voting system.