Uhuru urges Sonko to stop playing politics, work with Badi

Uhuru urges Sonko to stop playing politics, work with Badi

President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and NMS director general Mohamed Badi to bury their differences.

The President told Sonko to stop playing politics at the expense of Nairobi but work together with the DG to serve the residents.

Speaking during celebrations to mark International Youth Day in Nairobi on Wednesday, the President insisted that the two leaders embrace unity for the purpose of service delivery.

His sentiments come on the backdrop of a feud between the two leaders that has seen them tell off each other in public.

Two weeks ago, Badi downplayed Sonko’s move to withdraw from the agreement that saw NMS take control of key operations of the city.

He said he was not concerned by Sonko’s move insisting that NMS would continue delivering on its mandate as assigned by the President.

“I’m not scared by the Governor’s move to head to court. For us at NMS we are proud of the services we are delivering to Nairobi residents to improve their livelihoods,” said Badi.

“It is not our work to go to court. The Office of the Attorney General will represent us (NMS) and we shall follow directions from the National Government.”

Sonko had claimed that he has been sidelined in the running of Kenya’s capital city.

He further contested the appointment of military officers led by Major General Badi to run Nairobi.

On February 25, Sonko signed away control of the capital city when he transferred four key functions to the National Government.

By the stroke of a pen, he was rendered a lame duck county head, with functional and financial power handed to Badi.

Sonko, who was also barred from accessing his city hall office as he battles graft charges, now accuses President Kenyatta’s administration of bullying him.

He holds the opinion that the Deed of Transfer is fatally flawed from the onset and beyond any redemption.

The four key functions at the heart of the county administration which Sonko surrendered; health services, planning and development services, transport, public works, utilities and ancillary services are allocated more than 75% of the county budget.

The governor also lost the revenue collection function, with the National Government appointing the Kenya Revenue Authority to take charge of the county’s purse.

Having been reduced to an outsider in his own government, Sonko accuses the National Government of staging an unconstitutional and illegal takeover of the capital.

Additional report from Francis Gachuri and Nganga Njoroge

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