Sonko Accuses Raila of Betrayal

Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has accused opposition leader Raila Odinga of betraying him politically, despite the many favors he did for the ODM chief.

Sonko made the claims on Tuesday in Machakos County during the burial of Ms Anastasia Musau, the mother of Mwala MP Vincent Musyoka Kawaya.

He said that Odinga had asked him to get jobs for some members of his family, and that he had obliged. He cited the example of Ms Beryl Odinga, whom he said he appointed as the chairperson of the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company Board.

“I appointed Mr Odinga’s sister as the chairperson of Nairobi Water, I went ahead and appointed his cousin as the chairperson of Mbagathi Hospital board. I gave a number of people linked to him the lucrative positions of chief officers,” Sonko said.

He further claimed that Odinga had also asked him to dig him a borehole in his house, and that he had also done this. Sonko said that the ODM boss had asked him to dig a number of boreholes for some private families.

However, Sonko said that when he fell out of favor with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government, it was Odinga who dealt the final blow to his political career.

“Despite all the favors I did for him, he still worked with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and ensured that I am impeached as the governor of Nairobi,” Sonko said, adding that Odinga is a thankless political leader.

Sonko was impeached as the governor of Nairobi County in December 2020 after the Senate voted overwhelmingly to have him thrown out of office. The former governor is also facing charges of gross abuse of office in court.

Odinga has not yet responded to Sonko’s accusations.

In the meantime, Sonko’s claims have sparked a debate on social media, with some people supporting him and others criticizing him. Some people have accused Sonko of being ungrateful, while others have said that Odinga is a power-hungry politician who will betray anyone who gets in his way.

The truth of the matter is likely somewhere in between. It is possible that Sonko did indeed do favors for Odinga, but it is also possible that Odinga did not betray him. Ultimately, only Sonko and Odinga know the truth of what happened.