Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has scoffed at a senior official within the ranks of the ruling party, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) stating that he will not be intimidated by the candidate he claims has been planted as a project to challenge his bid for the position of Nairobi County UDA chairman.
Speaking when he met UDA delegates allied to his campaign, Sakaja said that he is aware that his main challenger for the seat is not a candidate but a project planted by someone powerful in the party but insisted that a project candidate who is basing his campaign along tribal lines cannot intimidate him.
“The opponent I am facing we all know is not a candidate but a project by someone but I am not afraid. I am not easily intimidated and I am not afraid to say that it is not a crime to be born from this or that communities. If it is, I want someone to tell me how to go back to my mother’s womb and apply to be born in a different community,” Sakaja said.
In what was seen as a veiled but intensional attack on a high ranking UDA honcho in the national government, with whom, they have no love lost, Sakaja warned that his silence was not a sign of weakness and he is not one to be easily intimidated.
Sakaja is facing opposition for the seat from Embakasi North MP James Gakuya who is a close ally of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
“Let me tell ” you” , I have been through a lot of things. Not just now that some people are trying to intimidate me. I am not just a push over and I cannot be intimidated, ” Sakaja emphasized.
“I was not given the seat of Governor by the person claiming that he gave me the seat but rather, by the over five million Nairobi voters who elected me,” Sakaja said.
“You cannot be bullying people in different counties for two years and then when you are mentioned for just one week you start complaining that you are being targeted. You start going to I don’t know which forest to pray or what.. If you want to be respected, then you must respect other leaders and if not then respect the people who elected them. In 2027, you can go to the elections the way you want but respect people,” Sakaja stated.
Sakaja suggested that those dragging his administration into allegations of graft are those who used to loot the county and grab public parcels of land but now the loopholes had been sealed.
“You are now speaking of land grabbing but we have stopped you and reclaimed public land. The land where we are building Mutuini market and Maji mazuri market had been grabbed but we have reclaimed them. We are now collecting more revenue and those who used to loot Nairobi have now ganged up with top leaders to blackmail us,” Sakaja said.
Sakaja noted that he decided to run for UDA Nairobi county chairmanship to work on building the party and would not bow to any threats, insults or intimidation.