2022 power plays are to blame for the crisis rocking Nairobi county government and subsequent resignation of Polycarp Igathe.
The raging war that has also stalled the namining of Uhuru II cabinet is between DP Ruto and State House operatives who are keen on cutting his influence in the run-up to 2022 mainly his (DP Ruto) resource mobilization through issuance of multmillion shillings tenders in government allied bodies.
Sources say the clash between the two sides over the control of the county affairs and the multimillion-shilling tenders led to Deputy Governor Polycarp Igathe’s resignation. Igathe has been in constant war with Ruto’s proxies at the county headquarters.
Governor Mike Sonko is in Ruto’s camp, while Igathe was apparently the face of State House, having been seconded by state operatives to be Sonko’s running mate.
Igathe quit last Friday over what he called his failure to earn Sonko’s trust. The resignation is effective at the end of the month. But it is now emerging that Igathe did not intend to resign but to send a warning to the Ruto camp so his demands could be met.
This is why the former Vivo Energy boss did not immediately resign but gave a notice of resignation. Igathe is said to be sending emissaries to Sonko and has even sent a message to the city boss, asking if they could meet face-to-face.
Igathe’s allies said he complained of frustrations by acting county secretary Leboo ole Moritant — a Sonko confidant — and Finance executive Vesca Kengogo, allied to the Ruto-Sonko wing.
“He complained that he had been reduced to nothing. He could not award tenders or sign for their payments. That he could not move staff and be in charge of administration as he had been promised before the elections,” the source said.
Citing frustrations, Igathe opted to give notice of resignation with hope that Statehouse will come to his aid and tell Sonko to focus on his Sonko Rescue Team as he (Igathe) runs the show including all tenders and payment approvals.
It is said that the DP supported Sonko so he could edge out former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth in the nominations and eventually clinch the governor seat from ODM’s Evans Kidero. It is also known that president Uhuru was keen on Kidero retaining the seat given close business ties between Kidero and the Kenyattas.
Ruto is believed to have influenced Sonko’s victory in the primaries and ensured Uthamaki’s heir apparent (Peter Kenneth) is vanquished from political arena. DP Ruto also bankrolled Sonko’s campaigns after Statehouse failed to release campaigns to Sonko.
The genius move by DP Ruto to take out Peter Kenneth caused confusion among Mt Kenya mafia with some advising PK to vie for the seat as an independent candidate that he later lost terabbly and blamed the DP for his loss.
“We did not lose the Jubilee nominations because my opponent was assisted by somebody high up in the party hierarchy. Our opponent was assisted by somebody who wanted to cut me to size politically,” he said.
DP Ruto is also open to the idea of Sonko being a running-mate or a co-principal of sorts given his popularity among the poor in the slums and DP is also conviced that if packaged well Sonko can be popular among the millions poor across the country and thus a crucial ally in the 2022 grand game.
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