I don't want Sakaja's job, says Sifuna

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna. [Elvis Ogina,Standard]

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna says he has no ambitions of becoming the city’s governor in 2027.

Sifuna, who has been critical of governor Johnson Sakaja’s leadership, says his move should not be mistaken for early campaigns to unseat the governor.

“When I go to Mbagathi [Hospital] to ascertain whether there are drugs, that doesn’t mean I'm running for governor,” said Sifuna on Spice FM’s Situation Room.

He added; “I have publicly stated that I’m not interested in being governor of Nairobi. I am happy with the job I have been given as the senator for Nairobi.”

Sifuna denies claims of witch hunt against governors summoned to the senate, insisting he is pushing for accountability from the Nairobi governor. He says his efforts have been frustrated by the governor who has failed to honour summons issued to him.

Sakaja was expected before the Senate Public Accounts Committee on April 8 to answer queries arising from the auditor general’s adverse reports for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 fiscal years.

However, through the County Secretary Patrick Analo, Sakaja informed the committee of his scheduled foreign travel on the same day and requested the meeting be scheduled at a later date.

The same fate befell his planned appearance before the Senate Energy Committee that was probing the Embakasi gas explosion which left six Mradi estate residents dead and several others nursing serious burn injuries.

Sifuna further accused the governor of failing to respond to his letters. In the letters, Sifuna said he had raised matters of interest for city residents.

“The minister for Defence came to the senate yesterday after I summoned him to the house to explain what is happening at Uhuru Park because I couldn’t get those answers from my governor,” said Sifuna.

Governor Sakaja, in a recent interview on Citizen TV, blamed his failure to honour Senate summonses as a ‘rescheduling issue’, citing that his critics were sensationalising the matter.