A possible political realignment by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is gaining attention after he confirmed that calls for him to leave UDA and join ODM have reached him, with the governor saying the views of his supporters will help determine his next move.
Sakaja said Wednesday that discussions about the possibility of joining ODM have been taking place, although he has not decided when he would leave UDA, if at all. He said he is still consulting before making a decision on the matter.
“There has been that call. Some officials and party members have said that they want me to move to their party,” he intimated during an interview with Radio Citizen.
The governor said his relationship with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has also featured in conversations about a possible move to ODM.
He recalled his close ties with Raila and said the former Prime Minister had wanted him to join the party before his death.
“In October, we will be marking one year since Raila left us, and we were very close; he was like my father, and he also wanted that (to join). We were in touch a lot before his death," he said.
Despite the growing speculation, Sakaja maintained that he has not formally announced his exit from UDA. He said he will consider the position of his supporters, whom he described as central to any decision he makes.
“There is no official date for when we will leave UDA, but the call is there. It is something I am observing; we must also look at what people are saying. If that's what they want, then I am their employee,” he said.
The governor's comments followed remarks by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who on Tuesday claimed that UDA was losing influential figures in Nairobi and linked Sakaja to a possible ODM move.
“UDA is done. I hear Sakaja wants to move to ODM led by Oburu. We wish you the best. And even the ODM has nothing. It is a shell,” Gachagua noted.
Gachagua made the statement while welcoming a group of political leaders and officials who had left UDA, Jubilee and other parties. Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan was among those received by the former deputy president.
Sakaja also used the interview to explain how his administration is dealing with street hawking, saying the practice cannot be wiped out because it remains a source of income for many residents.
“Hawking and street business is something that will never end. It requires us to manage it because those people are also looking for a livelihood,” Sakaja said.
He said the county was instead seeking to organise the trade by setting aside areas where hawkers can operate and agreeing with them on specific times for doing business.
According to Sakaja, the shortage of proper trading areas has contributed to the spread of street businesses. He blamed previous administrations for failing to provide sufficient spaces for informal traders.
The governor said his administration had already established at least 20 markets in an effort to move traders from the streets while ensuring licensed businesses are not disadvantaged by unregulated competition.
He also addressed reports that photographers and content creators were being charged by the county for taking pictures and videos in Nairobi.
Sakaja said the charges were meant for major film productions, both international and local, and did not target ordinary content creators.
“There is no way content creators will be charged in Nairobi when I am the governor,” Sakaja said.
He said the county was also preparing a photography festival where photographers would compete for recognition, with the top prize going to the best picture representing Nairobi.
On healthcare, Sakaja said Pumwani Maternity Hospital had achieved zero maternal deaths after conducting more than 11,000 deliveries over the past year.
He said this compared with about 16,000 deliveries recorded at the facility in the previous year.
Sakaja added that Nairobi has 23 neonatal beds, while Mathare North Hospital had conducted 65 Caesarean sections. He also said 50 dentists had been deployed to every sub-county to expand access to dental services.
The governor further highlighted the county's efforts to tackle flooding, saying a Sh2.4 billion drainage programme was being implemented to improve Nairobi's response to El Niño-related floods.
On public transport, he said the planned mass transit system would be an important step for the capital, although he believes Nairobi will eventually need an underground metro network.