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.
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