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‘Mimi nimekaliwa’: Sonko unwittingly reveals state of affairs at City Hall in leaked video


Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has unwittingly revealed the state of affairs at City Hall in a leaked video of his phone conversation with his Kiambu counterpart Ferdinand Waititu.

In the video, Governor Sonko can be heard assuring Governor Waititu that he will break the law and release his (Waititu’s) wife Susan Wangare.

Mr Waititu reminds Sonko of their friendship and how ‘they have come from far’ in Nairobi.

At some point, Sonko then seems to imply that he is not really in charge of matters at City Hall as he keeps citing an unidentified ‘mdosi’.

ORDER FROM ABOVE

“The remaining ones you can call ‘mdosi’. Let me just release mama (Waititu’s wife). The order is from above. I will only release ‘mama’. The rest you can call ‘mdosi’. Order is from above as the boss is fighting corruption,” says Sonko in the recording.

The video was recorded by Sonko’s side but it remains a mystery who leaked it and why. At some point, a whiskey glass with some contents is seen on the desk before the camera pans away.

Sonko advises Mr Waititu to stop reckless talks opposing the ongoing demolition and reminds him that his wife is on the wrong as she has no approval papers from City Hall. He promises to provide Ms Wangare with the necessary papers.

But Mr Waititu insists that Mr Sonko should release everyone, to which Sonko tells him to call ‘the boss’ or a Mr Waita as his hands are ‘tied’.

“Unajua mimi Nairobi nimekaliwa. Order imetoka huko juu…” says the governor.

Sonko then calls one Mr Ochanda, the officer who arrested the 15, to connect him to Ms Wangare.

CONTRAVENING LAWS 

“Apply for approvals. It is wrong to build without approvals. There is an order from above and I am even contravening laws releasing you. I have instructed that you be released,” Sonko tells Waititu’s wife.

Ms Wangare, however, informs him that she had made application for the approvals but they have not yet been passed.

Sonko then instructs Mr Ochanda to write for Ms Wangare a Sh10, 000 cash bail but leave the rest in dentention as a lesson that building without approvals is an illegality.

Mr Ochanda tells Governor Sonko that the Jamii Bora building is already on the 8th floor to which the City Hall boss says that is unacceptable in the Central Business District (CBD) but will release Waititu’s wife because she is not the contractor.