Sakaja: I was offered Ksh.1 billion to feign sickness, drop Nairobi Governor bid

Nairobi Governor aspirant Johnson Sakaja now claims that there was an attempt to bribe him with Ksh.1 billion for him to drop out of the County's governor race.

Speaking on Thursday, Sakaja, whose governorship bid is still a subject of a legal battle, alleged that he was approached by a high-ranking official who asked him to feign sickness and shelve his governorship aspirations.

Senator Sakaja however declined to reveal the identity of the said official whom he linked to State House.

"Kuna mtu alitumwa kwangu kutoka State House akaambiwa aniambie kuna hela flani nitapatiwa niachane na hicho kiti ati niseme nimekuwa mgonjwa. Ilikuwa 1 billion na nikasema hapana," the Nairobi senator said in an interview on Radio Jambo.

Sakaja further claims that after he refused to heed the order, he was threatened with arrest and prosecution. The 'empty' threats, Sakaja says, did little to deter his political aspirations noting that his resolve to serve Nairobi residents remains unwavering.

"Nilisema sitajiuzulu na wakajaribu kunitisha ati watanishika. Watanishika kwa nini? he posed.

Sakaja likewise chimed in on his parting of ways with the Jubilee administration and him switching camp to Kenya Kwanza.

While maintaining that he holds the utmost respect for President Uhuru Kenyatta from their time together in The National Alliance (TNA) party, Sakaja noted that a difference in opinions on how the Jubilee administration would run Nairobi once President Kenyatta ascended to power is what drew him away from the outfit.

"Mi sina shida na mtu. Ni ukweli tulifanya kazi kwa undani sana na tumekuwa marafiki na Rais na namheshimu. Namshukuru kwa ile safari ambayo tulikuwa nayo kuanzia nikiwa na miaka ishirini na nne, tukiunda TNA na nikaja kuwa mwenyekiti," he said.

"Vile tuliendelea niliona kuna tofauti kwa ile mpango wako nayo ya Nairobi na nikaikubali na nikasema sina shida nao lakini ni lazima nipate nafasi yangu."

Sakaja will know whether his name will be on the ballot on Friday when the High Court will make a ruling on the dispute surrounding his academic qualifications. 

Last week the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) dismissed the decision by the Commission for University Education to revoke the recognition of Sakaja’s university degree certificate.

According to a recent poll by Infotrak, Sakaja would be the most likely candidate to win the Nairobi Governor race if the polls were held today. 

Sakaja who is allied to the DP Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza alliance is at 39 percent in terms of popularity, with a 6-point lead over Jubilee's Polycarp Igathe, who came in second at 33 percent.