Sonko apologises to Nairobians for offensive remarks in TV interview
Nairobi Senator and gubernatorial aspirant Mike Sonko on Monday ate humble pie and apologised to Nairobians over unsavoury remarks he made during an interview on Citizen TV.
Senator Sonko, however, made no apology to his rival Peter Kenneth, who was the subject of the remarks.
“Kama niliwajamisha interview ya jana poleni nilikuwa na hasira my opponent aliniita hooligan in public wenzake wakaniita mbwa ndani ya kanisa (If I offended you during my interview yesterday, I’m sorry. I was angry with my opponent after he called me a hooligan in public while his supporters called me a dog in church),” the Senator posted on Twitter on Monday morning.
https://twitter.com/MikeSonko/status/843719502445600768
Neither did the flamboyant Senator apologise to the albino community after he likened Peter Kenneth’s light skin an albino.
Chairman of the Albinism Society of Kenya, nominated Member of Parliament Issac Mwaura, said they will issue a statement on the matter on Monday.
“To abuse people because of their skin colour is to go against article 27 of the constitution of which the elected senator of Nairobi swore to uphold and protect,” said Mr Mwaura.
In the heated and often emotional interview on Sunday night, Mr Sonko wavered between declaring outright that he cannot work with Mr Kenneth and demanding that he apologises for opposing President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013.
He peppered the interview with unsavoury remarks about Mr Kenneth’s skin colour and made claims about his past and his academic history, prompting calls for decorum and a disclaimer from the host Hussein Mohammed. At one point, he cheekily asked Mr Mohammed to sip some water.
He said the main grudge he has with Mr Kenneth stems from his refusal to step down and support President Kenyatta at the 2013 General Election. Mr Sonko sees this as an attempt to divide the Mt Kenya vote, which made it harder for the President to get the seat. Mr Kenneth was fourth in the 2013 polls with 72,786 votes. President Kenyatta won with 6,173,433 votes, 50.51 per cent.
NEVER ACCEPT
“I’m not going to step down for one Peter Kenneth. Even I’m not going to be his running mate. Even if he agrees to step down for me and become my running mate, I will never accept it,” he said.
“I have a lot of bitterness with this guy. I’m not going to forgive him until… He has to do a public rally and I’m giving him a condition. Let him have a rally in Gatundu. Let him call Mama Ngina Kenyatta, let him call Sonko. Let him convert the tears we shed that time into tears of joy,” said Mr Sonko.
“In the same way I am refusing to work with him, let him feel what we felt in 2013,” said Mr Sonko. “Even Trump doesn’t care. I also don’t care,” he added.