Former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko has once again commented on his impeachment, attributing it to his efforts to dismantle the widespread corruption within the Nairobi county government. Sonko claimed that his persistent clashes with “deep state officials in government” over various issues impacting Nairobians ultimately led to his removal from office.
“I severally refused to allow illegal demolitions in slums without compensation of the victims. This angered a former cabinet secretary and his PS who even nicknamed me as big-headed to the government of the day,” Sonko said in an interview with Obina TV.
Sonko stated that when he was elected in 2017, he inherited a semi-digital cash collection system that only captured revenue from 14 streams instead of the intended 136.
This gap, he said, created loopholes that allowed cartels within City Hall and certain officers from the national government to embezzle public funds. His efforts to digitize the system and eliminate cash collection faced strong resistance from these entrenched cartels.
“Some cashiers at the office in City Hall used to collect millions each day manually and share it among themselves before banking the remainder,” he claimed.
“When I digitalised the whole system, the move angered cartels and I became an enemy of everybody.”
Sonko stated that his move to digitize the cash collection system deprived cartels of daily revenue access and liberated City Hall from corruption.
Addressing accusations of underperformance, Sonko asserted that his track record speaks for itself. Among the projects he initiated are the Dandora Stadium, five modern fire stations, five maternity blocks, a health center in Kangemi, and over 200 kilometers of roads.
“I did Dandora stadium, they refused to acknowledge that. I did several markets; some have not been officially opened. I constructed five fire stations within the city and I intended to construct 17 more; each in every sub-county,” Sonko said.
Sonko insisted that his impeachment was illegal and politically instigated.
