Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu on Wednesday night made an appearance on Citizen TV's JK Live show where he addressed several issues.
Hosted by Jeff Koinange, the outspoken politician responded to a wide array of questions and accusations made against him.
Responding to Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko ’s claims that he used to smoke bhang with him inside the Parliament toilets, Waititu clarified that he had never consumed any type of drugs. He added that he had a high reputation of opposing drug usage including illicit brews.
He referred to Sonko as a joker and warned that if such utterances came from somebody else, he would have sued for defamation.
He advised Sonko that it was high time he became serious and respected the seat he occupies.
When Jeff asked him about his relationship with former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo, he commented that he had no issues with him.
He admitted that Kabogo indeed had supporters but added that he couldn’t satisfy everybody.
He was, however, quick to explain that he garnered a majority 800, 000 votes against Kabogo's 200,000 votes during the 2017 gubernatorial elections.
He also claimed that his comparisons to the former governor were quite unfair since he had only served for less than two years, compared to Kabogo’s 5 years. He asked his constituents to give him time, and that he would deliver.
When probed about sending Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria's brother, John Ngigi Kuria, home on compulsory leave, he denied the claims.
He stated that those were mere politics adding that Ngigi resigned because he got better offers somewhere else and, therefore, could not stop him.
Waititu added that he had a team of highly competent and skilled staff who were keen on working for his government.
About the confusion on his names (Clifford and Ferdinand), Waititu explained that he had no one to guide him when he was growing up in the slums of Kibera, therefore, couldn’t have known about the repercussions of changing names.
He claimed that he took the name Ferdinand when he was young. However, he would later drop it after the then president of the Philippines, who also had the name Ferdinand, got overthrown.
The Kiambu governor divulged that he took the name Clifford as he thought he wouldn't continue with his education for lack of school fees. Furthermore, he also claimed that he had to forge his age when he applied to join the police force.
His stated that Clifford was the name he used when he was admitted to Punjab University.
However, he took an affidavit and got a job at the Ministry of Finance where he worked for five years without any complications using the name Ferdinand.
