Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Sunday, March 12, sparked controversy after he called for dialogue between President William Ruto and Azimio Leader Raila Odinga.
Sakaja stated that every leader in the country should be acknowledged and while Ruto believed in that, he was surrounded by hardliners who were afraid of unity.
A few hours after Sakaja’s remarks, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in a roundtable media interview revealed that there was no space for a handshake in Ruto’s government.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei on Monday, March 13, echoed Gachagua’s sentiments arguing that Sakaja was misguided in calling for unity between Raila and Ruto.
“Sakaja you are wrong, Ruto and Raila will not have a handshake but you can go ahead and unite with Raila the same way you have done with other Azimio leaders in Nairobi,” Cherargei stated.
Kenyans.co.ke spoke to a governance expert Dr Brian Mutie on what it meant for Sakaja to call for political truce and in the process get isolated by Kenya Kwanza luminaries who did not share the same opinion.
What does Sakaja’s call for unity mean?
Dr Mutie who is an Advocate of the High Court remarked that Sakaja’s heart was in the right place even though it was rubbing the wrong way with his colleagues in Kenya Kwanza.
“Sakaja’s sentiments for unity towards healing the country is a good move towards national cohesion if not politicized,” he remarked.
On why it is good for the country, he revealed, “A united Kenya is good for investors both locally. Daily demonstrations in the country scare away investors.”
The governance expert explained that Sakaja should be careful when calling for such unity.
“When you find that there are other uncomfortable voices within Kenya Kwanza wing of government, he must be careful because there are politicians with influence,” he cautioned the first-term governor.
Sakaja, Gachagua beef
Sakaja has been particularly at loggerheads with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua due to his plan to move matatus from Nairobi Central Business District (CBD).
In December 2022, Sakaja revealed his ambitious plan to decongest the city by kicking matatus from CBD which did not sit well with the DP.
“Those who come to town are not complaining of congestion because that is where they get their daily bread.
"When those planning to evict matatus from the CBD bring trains, we shall accept that they remove matatus but for now there are no trains or buses,” the DP opposed Sakaja's plan.
With Gachagua adamant there will be no handshake, Sakaja was seen as picking a new battlefront between him and the DP.
Dr Mutie explained that both Gachagua and Sakaja have huge stakes in who is seen as the supremo in Nairobi.
“Gachagua is projecting himself as Mt Kenya's kingpin and one of the ways he can achieve that is by showing that he is fighting for their businesses in the capital.
“On the other hand, Sakaja is the Nairobi Governor and wants to be seen to have his house in order,” Mutie explained.
Gachagua’s differences with Sakaja have played out publicly. For example, when Gachagua met Nyamakima and Gikomba traders on Tuesday, February 28, to discuss their plight, Sakaja was conspicuously missing from the meeting.
On how such rift can affect Sakaja, Dr Mutie explained, “He needs to find a compromise between himself and other Kenya Kwanza politicians otherwise he might find the County Assembly ungovernable since Kenya Kwanza form almost half of the Assembly.”
Regarding Sakaja's 2027 reelection, Mutie remarked, “Actually it can work to his favour as he would get votes from Azimio and a section of Kenya Kwanza supporters who would feel he was victimised for championing a noble cause.”
Sakaja's call for dialogue was not only met with resistance by Kenya Kwanza luminaries but also by a section of Azimio leaders.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna dismissed the dialogue call between Raila and Ruto
“We want those calling for dialogue to know we cannot dialogue with people who rigged elections,” Sifuna remarked during a political rally in Likoni, Mombasa on Sunday, March 12.
He added, "Governor Sakaja should focus on preparing the City for our visitors on the 20th. We want clean public toilets, drinkable water in the CBD,our ambulances and medical facilities on standby, traffic marshalls to guide traffic and protect the visitors etc."
Ruto’s position on the whole issue
While Sakaja has been ruffling feathers with Kenya Kwanza politicians, the President has largely remained tight lipped.
Mutie remarked, “First of all, the President is maintaining himself as a nationalist only dealing with matters of national interest and not interfering with devolved matters.”
“It is also possible that he may have tasked his deputy to be calling the shots and do the dirty work because the President himself is a symbol of national unity,” he added.
