Political leaders from the Ukambani region have been challenged to declare their position on Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko's ongoing criticisms.
Former Yatta MP Francis Mwangangi said it was disheartening that leaders from the region have been watching silently as the City governor received unwarranted criticisms over his performance, barely eight months after he assumed office.
“It is sad to note that no local leader has stood up in solidarity with Sonko since these attacks begun. It is high time we knew who is for Sonko and who is against him,” Mwangangi said.
Mwangangi said Sonko’s woes had nothing to do with his performance as the Nairobi governor.
“The constant criticisms on Sonko cannot be termed as an ordinary appraisal on his performance but a well-orchestrated scheme to pave way for his ouster as the governor of the country’s richest county,” he said.
Mwangangi addressed the press in Machakos town on Saturday.
The former legislator said ‘negative tribal politics’ had taken over the city affairs thereby leading to sabotage of service delivery.
“We are aware that Jubilee as a party has no problem with Sonko, but tribal politics have infiltrated governance and service delivery,” Mwangangi said.
Mwangangi criticized senior political leaders from Ukambani who he accused of leading the community to ‘political wilderness.’
“Today we are where we are because of our political leaders who have misled the community to stay out of government for about two decades now. There is a need for the community to now reinvent its direction in the country’s political destiny,” he said.
He said genuine unity talks are what the community needs to address rather than meetings aimed at endorsing political kingpins.