• Atwoli said that he has tried to restrain himself and will continue to do so, but everyone should tell the Governor that his father (Atwoli) is not happy.
• He noted that when people stand on TV and say bad things about the Nairobi Governor, he gets hurt but restrains himself.
Image: FRANCIS ATWOLI/X
Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli now says that he is hurt everytime Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is attacked by critics.
Speaking during the Central Organisation of Trade Unions thanksgiving service on Sunday at St Stephen's ACK Church, Jogoo Road Atwoli said that he has tried to restrain himself and will continue to do so, but everyone should tell the Governor that his father (Atwoli) is not happy with the attacks on him.
He explained that when Sakaja's dad retired he left him under his care, which makes him his father.
He noted that when people stand on TV and say bad things about the Nairobi Governor, he gets hurt but restrains himself.
"You all know Sakaja is my son and when I asked you to make him Senator of Nairobi, you did. He’s my boy. When his father retired and left him behind, he left him under our care."
"When someone stands on TV hitting that boy (Sakaja) the first person to feel hurt is the father. And I will try to restrain myself and everyone should tell him the father is not happy," Atwoli said.
His remarks come amid growing criticism over the way the county government of Nairobi is being managed.
A few days ago, all four UDA elected MPs alongside a host of MCAs accused the Sakaja of mismanaging the city.
In a press brief on April 19, the legislators led by Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie claimed that Nairobi could be heading in the wrong direction.
He said the dream sold during campaigns, of a city of order and dignity, hope and opportunity for all, is slowly fading away for city residents.
"Nairobi City is drowning in the murky lakes of free-flowing sewerage, estates buried in mountains of garbage, taps whistling tunes of dryness, as storm waters flood homes and businesses," Kiarie said in the joint statement.
"The skies above the city skyline are punctured by precariously unplanned, haphazardly constructed towers that know no limit."
The other city MPs with Kiarie include James Gakuya (Embakasi North), Augustine Kamande (Roysambu) and Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central).
While responding to the accusations, Sakaja said the MPs are playing petty politics adding that he still respects them.
The Governor stated that they were all elected to do different jobs, and should he have wanted to politic, he would have also accused them of failing the people they represent.
Sakaja said that the most important thing is to figure out a way of working together with these leaders.
The Nairobi City County Governor said the issues raised by the four UDA legislators and a section of UDA MCAs should not have escalated to the level of getting to the press.
He insisted that the issues could have been solved at the party level terming their move as indiscipline.