I Need Only Year to Fix Nairobi, Governor Mike Sonko Says

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko says that he is being judged harshly over his performance at the helm of the county, noting that five months are not enough to rate his work.

Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV, Sonko expressed confidence that he will turn around the status of the Kenyan capital city and called on residents to give him more time.

He assured that Nairobi will be a better city in a year’s time and bashed unnamed government officials for selling a narrative that he has failed.

“I don’t need five years to fix Nairobi, my financial year starts around June, just give me one year and see.”

“Let me defend myself even now when I am being fought, there is something happening on the ground. When I took office I found that there were some funds from the World Bank, some billions of shillings, people have spent part of that money nothing was done on the ground.”

“My first project was the data centre, I invited the president and the deputy president, we launched a data centre here. My second project was the fire engines. We had dead 11 to 12 fire engines, today we have over 30 fire engines, we are fighting all the infernos in the city,” said Sonko.

He pointed out that one senior official at President Kenyatta’s administration has been fighting him and calling for the disbandment of Nairobi county. He also said that “cartels” have been fighting back.

“Now they are just doing diversionary tactics, character assassination and at the same time they are calling for disbandment of Nairobi county. Why do you want me to go home within five months? Why don’t you give me time? Why don’t you come and help me?”

“You one person fighting me in government, if the president is helping me who are you to fight me?” an angry Sonko said during the interview.

He noted that he inherited a dead system from his predecessor Dr Evans Kidero and has been trying to seal the loopholes since he assumed office.

“Sonko is focused, Sonko wants to fulfil his pledges that he gave to Nairobians when he was campaigning,” he stated.

“People are making a lot of noise and I’m happy, I love them, I like my critics because without them criticizing me I wouldn’t know the challenges on the ground.”