Citizen TV's Yvonne Okwara has faulted the system in the runnings that led to embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko's election.
While on Thursday, January 30 episode of Citizen TV's News Gang, the renowned news anchor addressed the leadership crisis in the country. She pointed out that Kenyans were easily impressed by glaring manifestations like impeachment, allegations of corruption, and sub infamy.
"We deserve the leaders we get," Okwara remarked.
Okwara started off by digging into the allegations that the flashy governor had escaped from Shimo La Tewa prison back in April 1998.
Referring to the December 2019, application by the prison to have Sonko serve the remainder of his prison statement, the news gang panellist questioned the efficiency of the prison department especially in bring to justice a person they had arrested, arraigned, and later put out a statement that he was an escape-convict.
"Has the prison department been in a self-induced coma since the last century? That's 21 years ago, and they have been unable to find sonko and charge him, it's not like he ran off to the congo forest, neither has he been hiding in someone's pocket?" Okwara posed, noting that Sonko was hiding in plain sight.
"Sonko is as flamboyant and as flashy as they come, I mean the gold rings on his fingers are visible from out of space, not to mention he is an elected leader and is in the public domain," she highlighted.
Next on her hit list, was the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). Okwara put the commission on the spot for the number of times Sonko has eluded justice. The Shimo la Tewa prison escape, and several other allegations including corruption charges that have been lodged against the governor.
Despite the charges, or rather, alleged 'dirty linen' the EACC cleared Sonko to run for office on three occasions. Okwara threw shade at the law enforcer, raising the question of how many other individuals enjoyed public life despite charges against them.
"What of the EACC, they who have the mandate to investigate, or empowered to do so under the law? They cleared him not once, but thrice, in 2010 when he ran for the Makadara seat, in 2013 when he won the Nairobi seat, and again in 2017 when he won the gubernatorial seat," Okwara pinpointed.
"So if I walked in and told them I have never worked for Citizen TV would they take my word for it?" She posed, referring to the fact that Sonko was in the public domain and his conviction had become near impossible.
The Jubilee Party crossed off her hit list, with the fact that Sonko successfully vied and was elected on its ticket.
Okwara questioned whether a party as powerful as Jubilee was not aware of Sonko's woes or were they too puzzled by the revelations.
"What of the Jubilee Party, on whose ticket he ran for office twice, are they too shocked by these revelations? Folks I don't know where the truth lies., that a party as powerful as the ruling Jubilee party had allowed him to vie on their ticket," Okwara remarked.
"I don't know a judge now deceased quashed his sentence? Or whether he escaped from that prison? What seems odd is the prison's department that considered a man dangerous to have allowed him to walk the streets free," she added.
The stated that the system was rotten and that the so-called vetting of leaders was a sham.
"Are we ready to dismantle the entire system?" Okwara posed.
