NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 18 – Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya Nairobi senatorial candidate Edwin Sifuna has poked holes on the five year term of Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja saying he has failed to deliver and only skirted around issues facing the county.
Sifuna during an exclusive interview with Capital FM News, pointed out that Sakaja was always ambiguous when it came to taking a stand on issues bedeviling Nairobi County.
The Nairobi senatorial hopeful crucified Sakaja for vehemently oppose the Commission for Revenue Allocation (CRA’s) third generation formula for revenue allocation that would have seen the county receive additional revenue.
“When the issue of revenue allocation debate came up he decided to pontificate and say ooh we need to care about what Kericho and Wajir gets but this other counties have their senators. You are not elected to be the senator of the whole country,” Sifuna said.
“I actually believe that as a leader, you must take a decision on everything. There is no room for ambiguity or what he likes to call neutrality,” he added.
With Nairobi country battling issues which include poor urbanization planning, garbage collection and access to water and sanitation, Sifuna faulted why his predecessor should he win the political seat refuse to take a stand in favour of the county when it came to resource allocation.
“You as a senator must explain to the Senate and the country why Nairobi is unique and why we need more money than Kericho. We have a lot of problems with urban population and great needs on water compared to other counties,” Sifuna stated.
The ODM secretary general castigated Sakaja saying that during his tenure Nairobi County lagged behind in terms of devolution to the extent that the Nairobi Metropolitan Service had to take over critical function of the county.
Sifuna questioned why Sakaja failed to take a position in the impeachment of Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko yet the county was already suffering under his leadership.
“The greatest crisis in Nairobi in the last five years is the question of the impeachment of the governor. Do you know that it was ODM who moved the motion to impeach Sonko because we take a position on matters,” he said.
“That he chooses in the senate not to vote and talked to us about tradition which was an excuse for me. When the question of impeachment of a governor who was not performing before the senate that’s exactly why you are there. You prosecute the case and you vote.”
“I would not stay away from impeaching or voting to impeach Governor Igathe,” Sifuna said.
