Vice President Ligati Gachagua has hit back at critics questioning his political interests in Nairobi City County, saying he has a big stake in the capital and will not sit on the sidelines.
Gachagua's comments come amid what appears to be a battle for supremacy between him and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, with two political factions emerging within the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Some UDA councilors in Nairobi have also joined Gachagua in challenging how the county mayor has been handling city hall affairs.
Speaking at a fundraiser for women's groups at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday, Ms Gachagua delivered what appeared to be a message to her critics, saying her office was closely monitoring Nairobi County's political operations and that the city's government was on track. He said he would try to move forward. managed.
“We have a home here, our children were born here, we are raised here, our wealth is here. If things are going well for Nairobi, we are happy. If not, then we are happy. , we have to make a complaint and try to make everything right. This is the capital of Kenya, so we don't need anyone to worry or ask about our interest in this city. We will continue to work with the county,” Gachagua said.
He said city residents deserve better services and the government will ensure they get the services they deserve.
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“We will continue to be concerned about the welfare and development of this city and its leadership. Nairobi is too important to leave it as it is. We have agreed to take a strong interest in Nairobi. We will restore the city's glory under the sun. We want to ensure that the residents of Nairobi receive the services they need. . We will do it not only because we have voters here, but also because we are stakeholders,” he added.
Touching on the recent floods in Nairobi, the Vice President called on the city's elected leaders to work with the national government to assist those affected by the floods.
Earlier, during a fundraising event organized by Langata MP Felix Odiwuru, alias Jalang'o, a group of MPs led by Embakasi Central MP Mejadonku Benjamin Gasile challenged Mr Sakaja over the handling of paperwork in the devolved unit. Ta.
“We want to intervene in Nairobi. If the county government takes a decision, the national government must also be involved. Our interest is to ensure that residents receive appropriate services. So everyone needs to participate,” Gatil said.
This comes amid heightened political tensions during the ongoing UDA grassroots elections. Mr Sakaja is running against Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, who is said to enjoy support from Mr Gachagua.
However, Mr. Sacaja insisted that he had no political dispute with Mr. Gachagua.During an interview on Friday Mirele FMMr. Sakaja said he respects the vice president.
“I have never said anything bad about him. I don’t want to be vice president. He doesn’t want to be governor of Nairobi either. There is no difference between me and him. He has been in politics for many years. He's a respected leader who has continued to do that.''Even though he found us in politics, he rose through the ranks to become vice president, so he should be respected for that. ” Sakaja said.
Kenya Kwanzaa MCA
The conflict between the two leaders spilled over into the county council, and two factions emerged within the Kenya Kwanzaa MCA. One faction is allied with Mr. Sacaja, the other with Mr. Gachagua.
The Gachagua faction last week unsuccessfully tried to oust leaders allied with Mr. Sacaja from leadership positions in the county council. This came after the UDA party announced leadership changes that would replace its leadership with a minority position. County council chairman Kennedy Ngandi refused to disclose the changes announced by the party.
