The much touted warm relationship between Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and his Deputy Polycarp Igathe could be on the rocks.
This has been precipitated by State House interference in running City Hall which has nipped Governor Mike Sonko’s powers.
According to the Star, State House is running the show at City Hall.
An intergovernmental committee in the President’s office is making key decisions on major projects, awarding mega contracts and filling influential posts in the capital.
State House machinery is poising Igathe to run the show, a notion that has irked Governor Sonko.
In its campaign, Jubilee promised to protect the interests of the state in the capital. Nairobi generates 60 per cent of Kenya’s GDP.
Source say President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked the Governor to concentrate on the politics of the city and leave the running of the county to Igathe.
Uhuru told Sonko this on November 8 during a meeting on regenerating Nairobi at his Harambee House office.
“The President told the boss to focus on city politics and leave Igathe to run the county. He [Sonko] did not utter a word, only nodded,” a source at the meeting told the Star.
Igathe together with Tourism CS Najib Balala were appointed by Uhuru to co-chair the technical committee of the special task-force on programmes to improve Nairobi’s social and economic sector.
Igathe and Balala’s focus is on solid waste management in the city, land, ICT; housing and settlement, infrastructure and transport, energy and water.
They will control a Sh17 billion fund controlled by the governor in ensuring all this becomes a reality.
At this point, the governor feels he is just a face in the crowd in the county’s leadership as he has no say.
He visits City Hall in the night. Much of his time is spent at his private office located at Lilian Towers.
Further, it has emerged State House has seconded 6 professionals to run various ministries within the county government.
One of them is Peter Kariuki, former head of State House’s Project Delivery Unit, who is poised to take over as the county secretary.
State House has however, trashed reports that it is micr0-managing the running of the county as empty rhetoric.
“Those must be reports from the usual unnamed and faceless rumour- and bile-peddlers,” State House Spokesperson Manoah Esipisu said.
Acting county secretary Leboo Morintat dismissed the claims that there is a frosty relationship between Igathe and Sonko. He also rubbished claims of state capture.
“I don’t think so [takeover and frosty ties]. The governor and his deputy are in a very good working relationship and they even organised the national event [Jamhuri Day fete] together.”
Majority leader in the Nairobi County Assembly Abdi Guyo too, said their bosses are in good terms.
“Their people might be fighting but the two gentlemen are in a very good and cordial relationship. I interact with them daily and understand them better.”