Lang’ata Member of Parliament Felix Odiwuor, better known as Jalang’o, has come out guns blazing against Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, accusing him of incompetence, corruption and poor leadership in the city.
Speaking during a Citizen TV interview, Jalang’o painted a grim picture of Nairobi, saying the city is broken and the governor has failed to deliver on even the most basic services.
He complained that most streetlights no longer work, leaving the city in darkness by early evening.
“Nairobi hufungwa saa mbili kila usiku. Ni giza tu,” Jalang’o said. “Kwa kila taa ya barabara utapata kabla hujaingia express way, nitakupa elfu moja.”
The MP used the sorry state of Nairobi to argue against the proposal to hand over the Constituency Development Fund to county governments.
He questioned why governors should be trusted with more money when they have done little with what they already receive.
“Pesa walizo nazo hawafanyi kazi nazo. Tumezituma, wakakula wakamaliza. Sasa tena tuwaongeze mzidi kukula?” he asked.
This comes after ODM party leader Raila Odinga called for the full devolution of the CDF to counties, saying Members of Parliament should focus on their legislative duties. Raila believes county governments are better placed to handle development projects on the ground.
But Jalang’o, though a member of ODM, is not convinced. He argued that giving more funds to governors like Sakaja would only lead to more mismanagement and theft. According to him, the current state of Nairobi is proof that many county bosses cannot be trusted.
While Sakaja has not publicly responded to Jalang’o’s remarks, sources close to him say the comments are political and meant to attract attention ahead of future elections.
The debate over who should manage development funds continues to divide opinion, with many Kenyans torn between the promise of devolution and the fear of corruption at the county level.