Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has aligned with ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, and has emerged as among his key allies.
He is also gunning for the Nairobi governorship, a race that is already crowded by political and moneyed heavyweights, and complicated by emerging coalitions ahead of the August General Election. He speaks to the Star's Eliud Kibii about his bid, the new alignments and the Uhuru and Ruto fallout.
What drives you to be governor?
One, I have played my role as a legislator. In the last eight or nine years, I doubt if there is any other member who has proposed more bills than I have. They include the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, the Amendment to the Helb Act, the National Employment Authority, National Disaster Management Bill, the Start Up Bill and Prompt Payment Bill.
I have also done oversight. No other senator has asked more questions about their county as I have. I have sought statements since 2017 about the decongestion, the revenue issues, audit queries, the mass transit, hospitals — where there is a huge scandal — and the markets, even with NMS as well as demolitions for instance in Mukuru kwa Njenga.
I have legislated and ranked top thrice by Mzalendo in terms of contributions in Parliament. However, I feel handicapped because I have my dreams for this city. I can legislate the best laws but as senator, I cannot implement them.
So, I want to implement the laws that I have legislated and more ideas in the city.
The past two administrations of Evans Kidero and Mike Sonko have been pathetic. How different will yours be?
If you want to run the city well. you must take the lessons of those who failed. I have studied both administrations and I know how they were structured and where the issues and corruption came in.
Kidero was a very technical but was not able to translate policy to the people, who you must carry along. Governor Sonko was more political and less technical. You need a mix, inclusive leadership.
You need to have very deliberative and consultative leadership that is inclusive and get the best in the industry in your every sector. You can't be elected and start wondering, 'who do I put in charge of roads?' And you just put political appointees.
I already know more than 70 per cent of the people who will be CECs, if I come in, God willing. These are people I am sitting with and discussing about issues — water, tourism — and are the ones contributing to the manifesto.
Secondly, you cannot run Nairobi just as an entity at the top. We must divide it into North, East, West and South to begin with and later go further lower.
The challenges in Kayole are not similar to those in Roysambu. The person dealing with roads and garbage collection in South C shouldn't be the one dealing with potholes in Westlands. That disparity is creates lack of accountability.
Once we agree this is your area, this is the budget, if I find a garbage dump there tomorrow, you have no excuse. You go home. Once you step down accountability to those levels, you are able to have a hand.
The Urban Areas and Cities Act provides for a city manager. I will have four to start with so that issues are dealt with at the lower level.
They also did take advantage of area resident associations. They are strong and they know their issues. Why don't you incorporate them into the leadership of the city? You do so by recognising them and one of the bills I have sponsored is the Area Residents Associations that incorporates them into decision making and participatory budget making.
When you get residents involved, there will be huge accountability because it is their money and their project. I am not coming with magic to solve Nairobi problems. I want to use the best of Nairobi residents.
My work as governor will be as a facilitator and to make sure we have the resources and the accountability. Mine will not be a one man show.
How to plan to outdo all the other aspirants in the race?
Just being me. The people know their leaders and Nairobians will not make a choice based on tribe or how much money you splash at them. In fact, we have told them a lot of money coming. Take it but don't make your decision based on it.
And I don't think it's really about the money. Kidero had more money than Sonko but Sonko defeated him. It is about who you feel genuinely cares and understands those issues and then the ability to create a change or lead. I believe Nairobians will be able to make that decision, and I am hopeful I will be that person.
Don't you think the tribe factor will play out?
No, Nairobians don't vote tribally. If they did, I'd probably not be elected. I was elected senator by over 800,000 voters and I don't think it had anything to do with my tribe. My opponent was also from my community. I got more votes than my presidential candidate and that of ODM, meaning there are people from Nasa who voted for me. Nairobians can transcend that. People look at the character of individuals.
But there are candidates who are waiting to be anointed and placed on Nairobians as a compromise candidate. Nairobians will send those people home very fast because they see themselves as enlightened voters. They say "hatupangwingwi" (decisions are not made on our behalf).
Do you think there is a need for an apolitical institution in the NMS framework that transcends elected administrations in Nairobi?
The thinking that somebody appointed is better than one elected is a fallacy. If you are corrupt and you are appointed, you will still be corrupt. We have given Kenyans the right under Article 1 to exercise their sovereignty by choosing their leaders.
Of course, we need bureaucracies that transcend the politics and that's why we have a public service.
We had to have NMS, which I say was first aid, because Nairobi had an accident. We now need radical surgery.
So I will retain what is working with NMS and get rid of what is not working. It thus becomes a department under the governor and those working well continue.
Saying let's get rid of it, let's repaint [what they have done] is wasting people's money.
But cartels are creeping back to that NMS, doing all this business with it and some of those members want to run for governor. That won't happen.
Does the UDA-ANC arrangement complicate your bid?
It makes it perfect.
You have seen what is happening between one faction of Jubilee and ODM. They want a coalition party called Azimio, which will most likely field candidates jointly in some areas or individual parties in others. That is what all parties are going to do.
Similarly on UDA and ANC, and more parties are coming on board, they will also have a coalition arrangement. When that arises within the UDA-ANC-Ford Kenya and the remnants of Jubilee, they might decide let's do nominations. I am ready for that. Do we say this party is given this? I am ready for that, too.
Were you among the architects of the UDA-ANC deal and how did it come about?
A lot of that is still work in progress because there is no coalition agreement that has been signed or declared.
I am fortunate that I have direct contact with all these national leaders — the President, the former Prime Minister, the Deputy President, H.E Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo and all of those principals.
I have also said politics is not about enmity.
There will be one alliance about Azimio la Umoja, yet we are not at war — and whenever we have been at war, it was because of leaders of that coalition — and there will be an alliance about the economy
Mudavadi has from earlier on asked me why I was not working with him and I had told him I would never leave President Kenyatta for as long as he is on the seat because of our journey and our friendship. My contract with him is until 2022. I have never spoken anything ill against him because it is disrespectful.
But I said after 2022, the person whom I have seen really brings a different flavour into leadership, has the humility and the capacity to deal with economic issues, calm things down, does not insult people is Musalia Mudavadi.
That's why we started going round and wanted to see what happens with his candidature. But then politics being dynamic as it is, there are alignments and he [Mudavadi] needs to work with people.
One of the people he has chosen to work with is the Deputy President. When he explained why, it made a lot of sense: That the race is being rated around two issues. There are those who feel a few leaders and big names being united at the top is what gives this country prosperity and Kenyans will be united. Then there is another group that says it is about the economy.
Mudavadi has been very consistent about macroeconomics — public debt, taxation, government wastage and spending. Ruto has been keen on micro economics — the small businesses, mama mbogas, kinyozis — and the bottom up of starting from small industries and businesses instead of trickle down.
That is what we must address: Economic opportunities for all.
There will be one alliance about Azimio la Umoja, yet we are not at war — and whenever we have been at war, it was because of leaders of that coalition — and there will be an alliance about the economy, saying Uchumi Kwanza.
That's why we came together and we have been discussing. It was highly guarded.
Mudavadi has really criticised Ruto, including the bottom up model. How will that rapprochement be?
A lot of these things are misunderstandings because of sloganeering without explaining. But with in-depth analysis, people now understand you want to pump in resources like the Economic Stimulus Programme of President Uhuru.
In the initial manifesto of TNA we were talking about bottom up.
Musalia's focus has been on macro-economy, and the Deputy President on micro-economy and we have told them, 'you guys look, if you bring the micro and macro together, then you'll have economic rejuvenation'.
And we used to tell them, 'you guys are just talking about debt and you are not telling us the solutions'. But you must have a grasp that our debt to revenue ratio is 70 per cent. When we sort that out, we will have pesa mfukoni (money in the pocket).
Budget chairman at the National Assembly Kanini Kega's office is just next. Do you discuss these issues?
We talk, he is my friend. We were with him in Vijana na Kibaki and we have grown together in this politics.
The problem in this government is that it has feared criticism so much that they will not take advice even from their own. That even him, as Budget chairman or me as chairman of whatever, if I see a point and I want to improve on it, I will be seen as a critic or as Tangatanga or as a rebel. Yet leadership is the ability to come together and get the best out of people.
So, even when [Kikuyu MP Kimani] Ichung'wah was chairman of Budget or even Mutava Musyimi, there was lack of political tolerance.
Mutava did a national audit of the Constitution on what was working and what was not. That document was much better than BBI.
If we implemented that review, on all the commissions, the different entities, and debt issues, we would not need BBI. That lack of political tolerance has been our major undoing. It is unfortunate, especially for me as a founder member of TNA and Jubilee. We had a dream and at some point it got derailed.
Ruto has served for two terms as DP. He can't occupy that seat again. What is in it for Mudavadi in the new arrangement?
What I know about Mudavadi is he, like me, believes leadership is not about positions but influence. He is about creating a government that holds certain ideals true, with a transformative agenda, and where there is trust.
The biggest issue in Nasa was the trust deficit. Utapeli amongst yourselves and you want to form a government?
I believe he would make a great presidential candidate and they can agree within that arrangement, one that he supports Ruto as running mate or not as a running mate or even the DP can decide I am the target in this thing, let me support Musalia and say Mudavadi Tosha! Raila did it.
Anything can happen, politics is the art of the possible. What we have agreed is that we want to focus on the economy. We will figure out about the positions.
And more and more senior people in government will soon be joining to say no to political intimidation, that the people must decide and we want to rescue the economy.We will win. We have done the numbers, the polls and they point to our victory.
There is a lot of talk about betrayal with tusidanganyane phrase. Who betrayed who?
Musalia has not focused on himself. He has stepped down for Raila and Kalonzo. He was only the campaign manager in the last election. Before that [2013], he had been offered the ticket. It was us who said no.
Within Nasa, although I have never been a member, you can feel there was breach of trust in terms of how they were supposed to share the political parties fund and what they agreed is not what was implemented.
So, if you can't be honest within this arrangement, how will you be honest with 50 million Kenyans? That is what he was referring to.
And what went wrong between the President and the deputy?
They have been my friends and I think it is disheartening there was such a split.
It began like a small thing, one misunderstanding leading to another and the people around them didn't help. Those around the DP are the ones insulting the President and those around the president are the ones insulting the DP. That becomes bigger and bigger until it becomes untenable.
And you can't say the DP is bad in the second term yet his character has not changed. If he was bad, he was bad from the first term and it means you used him to win elections.
And from the DP's side I think, he has allies who have shown a lot of disrespect to the President. Each of them has a part they have played. But to tell you the actual point of departure, I think the President will have to tell us because you can't put a finger to it.
DAP-K that was recently launched appears to target the influence of Mudavadi and ANC is bleeding. Will Mudavadi manage to consolidate Western?
DAP-K is just ODM in a blue jacket.
It is being bankrolled by them and that's where the utapeli is. If you look at the chairman, Wafula Wamunyinyi, he was of course being paid by Raila to create problems in Ford Kenya against his coalition partner in Nasa. It is obvious now.
Some people were being paid to create discord in the ANC. We have evidence.
The people of Western will not be lied to. They can know their leadership. They are trying to play down the influence of Musalia. They said in Bukhungu that he is inconsequential. Why are they still talking about him after the "earthquake"? If it is inconsequential, why are they taking politicians from the region to State House?
Mudavadi has his backing solidly behind him and I don't think we will lose more than 10 per sent. I think 85 per cent at minimum will solidly follow the move he makes.
What do you foresee in a possible Ruto-Raila race?
Ruto is definitely going to win, 56 per cent in the first round.
The numbers are here [points at his tablet].
And you see, they are now in a dilemma because Raila had Western and Ukambani when he had Kalonzo and Musalia together and then he was told there is this elusive beauty called Mt Kenya. So he let go of what he had to run for Mt Kenya, which he probably is not going to get. And these two have gone. I feel bad that he has been misled that way but that's politics.
What is your parting shot?
Kenyans, we have a date with destiny. Let's interrogate leaders before choosing. Let's not do what we always do: Choose then interrogate.Let's transform Nairobi and that's why I am offering myself and I am grateful for the love the people of Nairobi have shown me. They say wananipenda bure.
