The Daily Nation DN2 ­ Wednesday
Date: 19.10.2016
Page 6
Article size: 555 cm2
ColumnCM: 123.33
AVE: 266399.99
Love him, hate him, Sonko
likely to be city's next boss
It is because of his antics
that he is popular. What
an educated middle­class
individual considers primitive,
the voting massess see as
relatability
Gidion Mike Mbuvi Sonko will likely
be Nairobi's next governor. At this
point, the Iron Throne of Kenya's
most important county seems his to
lose. If he runs, he will likely win. Forget what
an out­of­touch elite will tell you on Twitter.
Ignore what image consultants and public
relations experts say in air­conditioned TV
studios. Disregard Obama­esque campaigns
by other aspirants for that post because we've
seen them before and they didn't work in
the real world.
Mike Sonko will easily beat Evans Kidero,
Margaret Wanjiru, Johnson Sakaja, Dennis
Waweru, Eugene Wamalwa, Peter Kenneth or
whoever else is thrown his way. Don't even
think that he needs the Jubilee ticket to do
it. Even if he ran as an Independent, or on
a different party if the regulations allow, he
will likely still win. As long as Sonko runs
for governor, he is almost guaranteed to win.
You can take that to the bank.
This is where and why his public persona
becomes problematic. All things remaining
constant, our nation's capital will be led by
a leader who believes it is okay to disrupt
a funeral, declare himself acting president
and dismiss everyone else with "Taka taka"
and "Ghasia". An abridged history of Sonko
behaving badly would be too long to be con­
sidered abridged. You would probably need
to categorise it by month, or just those that
were outstanding in their embarrassment
in being the ultimate gentleman, Sonko
thrives on his street smarts. When there
is a fire in a slum, he will be there in jeans
and boots, getting his hands dirty.
When market women are evicted, he will
be at the forefront, agitating for their rights,
threatening whoever needs to be threatened
and paying whatever bills arise. The legend
of Sonko has become almost as big as the
score.
stature of the man himself.
This is the man who has proven that noth­
ing embarrasses him. What ordinary mortals
might consider a faux pas, he embraces with
commitment. Wearing dirty jeans to an im­
portant national event? Done. Dreadlocks
His real or perceived closeness to Presi­
dent Uhuru Kenyatta doesn't hurt on the
streets either. This is especially so since
State House has never publicly rebuked him
and the president appears to be genuinely
amused by all his drama.
In any case, the public outrage that greets
every new Sonko meltdown only lasts a few
days and then dies out. Nobody has ever
sued him for anything he has done. Nobody
has started impeachment proceedings or
even a censure motion against him. Ken­
yans have learnt to tolerate the Nairobi
senator and secretly enjoy it when he
shakes things up a little. The truth is,
there are moments when he is the only
one speaking up when things are going
in the hallowed halls of Parliament? Been
there, done that. Calling the president during
a protest to stop a demolition? You bet.
It is precisely because of these antics
that he is popular, not in spite of. What an
educated middle­class individual considers
primitive, the voting masses see as relat­
ability. If Sonko were to polish up, wear
Italian suits all the time and speak only in
accented English, he would lose the popular
support.
He wouldn't be the Sonkore the youth
around this city idolise, he would become
just another punk. He doesn't need to be
cultured to win their love, he has it by
default.
Sonko is a new kind of leader who doesn't
fit in the traditional mould of what a politi­
cian should be. While Sakaja prides himself
awry.
"I am number three in command socially,
politically and influence­wise" he said in
Machakos on Saturday. He's not entirely
off the mark, actually. Besides President
Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga, he had
the third largest number of votes in the
whole republic. It is possible that much
of Sonko's mass appeal is because he is
the devil we know rather than the angel we
don't. He may be unrefined but at least he
seems to know what the people he repre­
sents want.
Whether the people of Nairobi want to
be led by a man with an endless potential
for conflict and offence is a different story
altogether. All reasonable citizens should
worry that a man with a history as troubling
as his is the favourite to win the governor's
seat. It is certainly easier to win the election
than to govern, especially a complex and
multilayered county like Nairobi. If you re­
ally don't like Sonko's hijinks, speak
up and make your displeasure
known at the ballot box. Other­
wise, accept and move on.
Send your comments to
[email protected]. com
Sonko is a new kind of
leader who does not fit
in the traditional mould of
what a politician should be.
While Sakaja prides himself in
being the ultimate gentleman,
Sonko thrives on his street
smarts."
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya