Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko's new war with President Uhuru Kenyatta will soon backfire on him and cause more damage to his political career, analysts warn.
Sonko, on Wednesday, April 29 indicated that he would be terminating the deed of transfer of functions he signed with the national government, citing frustrations by 'cartels' within the Office of the President.
"I have a message to some of my friends at Harambee House who are drunk with power. Power comes, power goes, power is temporary and transient but the will of the people, and the will of God, is eternal," Sonko tweeted on Wednesday, April 29.
This action comes at a time when Sonko has been engaging Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director General Mohamed Badi in a push and pull struggle for power, as the country fights Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Sonko also alleged that he was blinded into signing a deal with Kenyatta, a claim analysts have poked holes into.
"Why didn't Sonko decline to sign it if he had not read its contents yet he ran to State House to embrace the deal. This is what happens when you have semi-illiterate leaders in power.
"The Sonko of 2013 and 2017 who won people's hearts is not the same one in 2020. He is digging his own end as he promised Kenyans a lot yet he has not delivered. Many people are disappointed with him, and he no longer enjoys the support he used to enjoy," Martin Andati, a political analyst informed Kenyans.co.ke on Thursday, April 30, arguing that undoing the deal would be a tedious task to undertake.
Returning power to Sonko means Kenyatta would have to revoke Badi's role and do away with NMS which Kenyatta stated would deliver and transform the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. This would be tearing away Kenyatta's legacy, a move Kenyatta may not be ready to allow.
Dr. Jane Thuo, a University of Nairobi lecturer stated that Sonko has picked the wrong time to fight as people have gathered confidence in Kenyatta and Badi and are leaning more towards deliveries, rather than fights which would not benefit anyone at last.
"Sonko should have supported Badi as it would have given him a political mileage, rather than appear like he is undermining Kenyatta and bringing up 2022 politics as the country faced a crisis.
"However, he has time to change. One day in politics is worth more time. You never know what he can shift to. But this pandemic will break Sonko more than it can make him," Thuo, who is also a Development Communication Consultant, opined while speaking with Kenyans.co.ke on Thursday, April 30.
Before signing the deed of transfer, Sonko was facing a graft charge, which is still pending in court. With Kenyatta determined to nail corruption suspects, Sonko may be fueling his own demise, as analysts had argued before that Sonko had been allowed to interact with Kenyatta when he changed tune and supported the Building Bridges Initiative.
An impeachment motion that was staring at his face was shelved as Kenyatta urged Nairobi MCAs to drop the case.
His night meeting with Deputy President William Ruto has also raised questions, as the DP and Kenyatta are seemingly at war with each other.
