Ndolo urges Sonko, Badi to resolve differences and serve city residents
What you need to know:
- The differences between Governor Sonko and the NMS played out recently during a Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee session.
- Mr Ndolo said he was willing to rally city residents behind NMS and Sonko in initiating development projects in the city.
Former Makadara Member of Parliament Reuben Ndolo has called on the Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director-General Major General Mohammed Badi to resolve their differences and concentrate on serving city residents.
“Fahali wawili wakipigana ni nyasi huumia” (When two bulls fight it’s the grass/thicket that bears the brunt of two fighters fighting), If two people of significant power fight, it is the people below them who suffer and get hurt the most. This war is hurting Nairobians as they are being trampled on by the Governor and Director General. A ceasefire will help Nairobians more," said Ndolo.
Mr Ndolo added the political ‘wars’ between the two leaders are not good for Nairobi residents.
“If they want to fight, I can offer them a boxing ring so that they can square it out with punches where the winner will be decorated with a belt or medal. The two leaders should keep off their feuds from City Hall which is a place of service delivery,” said Mr Ndolo who is the Kenya Professional Boxing Commission president.
IMPEACHMENT
The differences between Governor Sonko and the NMS played out recently during a Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee session.
Sonko says even though he supports the President’s agenda of transforming Nairobi County, he is appalled that the NMS director-general has been blackmailing him with impeachment threats and even blocking him from attending any NMS functions.
Maj-Gen Badi denied overstepping his mandate, saying he was carrying out the duties assigned to him by President Kenyatta in line with the deed of transfer agreement entered into between Sonko and the National Government in February.
Mr Ndolo said Nairobi was lagging behind in development. He said that various issues including water scarcity, traffic jams, ill equipped health facilities and schools, poor roads, grabbed social amenities, slum upgrading, poor planning of buildings, environmental degradation, and crime among other things.
The former legislator said he was willing to rally city residents behind NMS and Sonko in initiating development projects in the city.
REMAIN FOCUSED
“I ask the people of Nairobi not to take sides but remain focused by demanding development from Sonko and Badi,” he said.
The former legislator said he was impressed by the projects initiated by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services and asked city residents to support Badi’s team. He called for the repossessions of all grabbed social halls and playing fields.
“We are soon going to resume sports activities which were interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, so I urge the authorities to repossess the halls and playing grounds in readiness for use by the youth. This will make them keep off from crime,” said Ndolo.
The former Athi Water Services Board chairman urged Nairobi Metropolitan Services to make use of a masterplan they developed with the World Bank to address water scarcity in the capital.
“There is a lot of water in Nairobi that is being diverted from the source thus causing Nairobians the agony of experiencing water shortage. This needs to be tackled effectively. ET…