SONKO RESCUE TEAM TO BE IMPOUNDED

The bad blood between Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and the city’s senator Mike Sonko went wild when the governor ordered the mass impound of the ‘Sonko fleet’. Kidero said the ‘Sonko rescue team’ — a fleet of ambulances, breakdown vehicles, hearses and wedding cars — had not been licensed to operate within the city. Speaking Friday at a funds drive at Dagoretti High School, Nairobi, the tough-talking governor for the first time, confronted the senator and ordered the immediate confiscation of the vehicles. “As a city, everything should be done within the law. If there are questions surrounding his source of income, it needs to be declared,” said Kidero. Kidero said the Sonko’s ambulances, hearse, breakdown, wedding transport, water bowsers, security and emergency services should be registered by the County Government. Sonko and Kidero have been fighting over who has control within the city’s political landscape. The Sonko Rescue Team was a response to what the senator describes as a dearth in the service delivery within the city. Sonko says he is offering an alternative leadership platform in readiness for his gubernatorial onslaught in the 2017 polls. As Kidero slammed Sonko, The Standard on Saturday could not get the senator’s comment. See Also: Kidero orders seizure of Sonko Rescue Team vehicles Calls to his known mobile numbers and text messages failed to elicit a response from the senator to the governor’s remarks. The team has so far, facilitated over 21 weddings across the country. The team’s collection of vehicles comprises S-Class Mercedes Benz, Land Cruiser, Limousine and Hummer, which majorly serve weddings. The team also acquired four Land Rover Discovery vehicles to carry out security patrols within Nairobi County and beyond. Kidero’s sentiments were backed by Dagoretti South Member of Parliament Daniel Waweru who challenged the senator to follow the right channels if he wanted to offer services to the people of Nairobi. “Some people are moving around pretending to offer services to the people. Where do they get their money? If you want to offer services, follow the right channel and work with the governor. We do not want pretenders,” the MP posed
Though Waweru’s views attracted mixed reactions from the crowd as some shouted that the team was reaching out to the needy, Waweru maintained his source of income should be confirmed. “Drug peddlers and organised criminals have no place in the city of Nairobi. These are frauds and conmen. Where has the money come from?” said Waweru without mentioning names. Sonko is on record saying he has never and is not involved in any illicit business.