Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko’s unrelenting trench warfare with businessmen in the city will take a massive hit on his political ambitions and career in the long run.
While it is arguably true that most of the businessmen have been deliberately trying to evade the law in multiple ways, the governor’s retaliation is sure to achieve completely different results, other than the purpose-specific objectives of silencing them.
The recent demolition of a business complex that housed Simmers Restaurant in Nairobi’s CBD, which, as has been reported, was on the governor’s direct orders following a clash with the restaurant’s owner is a bad move and is only meant to effect dreadful outcomes.
For quite some time now, the governor seems to have all but perfected the art of staying in the news but all for the not-so-good reasons. His warfare with the city’s businessmen is actually going to slow down the development of the city in different ways.
For instance, most of the businessmen will shy away from taking risky investments in the city for the fear of unfair intervention from the defiant governor.
Nairobi is built around the performance of the private sector and if the governor is making it hard for the private sector to thrive, it could be, perhaps, impossible for the county to witness any meaningful progress going forward.
Businesses have been the backbone of the operations of the capital over the years. Most of the revenues and the monies accrued from the city itself have actually been coming from businesses in the shape of licensing and taxation.
If the businesses are not going to be completely functional, development is going to be impossible and this is going to be of a dreadful impact on the politics of the city. If Nairobians are going to judge Sonko on his ability to deliver, it is actually going to be on how conducive the city is for businesses.
The conducive environment is going to be of importance in the development of the city which is technically hinged on the thriving of the private sector.
Late last year, Governor Sonko came under huge criticism for his phone etiquette after he leaked a number of private phone conversations with some prominent personnel including Governor Ferdinand Waititu.