Dear Sonko,
It will definitely be unfair for me to begin this letter without:
- Congratulating you, for your resounding win during the just concluded 8/8/2017 elections. You did not just overcome numerous obstacles to become the second duly elected governor of Nairobi. Your victory effectively landed to City Hall, a certified hustler. For the first time, the forever downtrodden yet hardworking drivers of our capital city’s economy, Kamau the hawker, Wakoli the security guard, Otieno the mechanic and Kasyoki the eternally loyal yet little paid Patel’s employee, have one they regard as their own, as the city boss. Now that’s historic!
- Acknowledging your hard work, resilience and determination to transform our politics from a money minting venture into a service driven affair, since you announced your arrival with a bang, when you outshined old timers and clinched the Makadara Parliamentary seat during the September 2010 by-election. You have so far set new standards.
But that is enough pleasantries for now. I am sure you have received more than enough congratulatory messages from all over. Therefore, I will not dwell not on that.
Instead, I will get down to more serious stuff, just like you have already done even before you take the oath of office.
Dear Sonko,
In front of you lies a rather interesting task; interesting because the job Nairobians have entrusted you with, will either make or forever destroy your political career.
And why do I say this?
At the moment, President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto aside, the next other elected leader the entire country is keeping close watch on is none other than you. Whether this is by default or by design, I don’t know. But one thing I am damn sure about is that, all Kenyans’ eyes are on you simply because of the way your politicking has so far re-ignited hope in them. For once, there is a feeling that in Mike Sonko is a leader, whose style is set to revolutionize our politics, ethnic identity aside.
Perhaps, you have also witnessed this rare phenomenon every time you visit different parts of our country. It does not happen quite often that a leader is appreciated and even his address demanded all over yet he is not contesting for a national seat.
Therefore, the way you perform your duties in the next five years, will either raise this faith in you even further and guarantee you an even bigger job or send you to the political dustbin for good.
Why?
Because Wanjiku is an interesting character. The moment you raise her expectations, you better deliver. Otherwise, she is very good in revising her choices, especially nowadays, when the next election comes calling. You can confirm this reality by having a mere look at the way she sent even the unexpected home during this year’s election.
Yaani, siku hizi Wanjiku hapendi ujinga!
So, what does Wanjiku (including her kith and kin who have never set foot in the city) expect you to do for Nairobians so that she can entrust you with more important duties in the future?
It’s very simple.
Deliver to an average Nairobian what he/she needs ( Its where your predecessor failed terribly).
Get to them what directly transforms their lives and makes their hustle easier. Remember, most Nairobians, including me, are in this town to eke out a living not just for themselves but also for the millions of their dependants way back in the villages.
Make it easier for us and the entire country will definitely stand by you in the years to come.
And how do you that?
By constructing new highways? No… By giving us hand outs to foot bills? No…. By paying or lowering our rents? No… By ordering matatus to ferry us to and from our work places for free? Definitely a big no!
Dear Sonko,
We don’t need fish. Instead, we need you to facilitate us to fish for ourselves by doing the following:
- Look into the business permit and related licenses’ charges so that, the young university graduate who could not secure a job and instead decided to open a kibanda, a kinyozi or a movie shop, so that he can educate his siblings back in the village, can be able to do so with ease.
- Clear the garbage that makes our lives in this city hell. I am impressed by your initiative of the past few days where you have started getting rid of the trash in and around town. Extend that to our estates. Let Nairobi outdo the Kigali you visited with President Kenyatta on Friday. In fact, I have been to Kigali once and I can assure you that if you could make Nairobi as half clean as Kigali, I will not just voluntarily vote for your re-election in 2022 but also ensure those close to me support you.
- Resolve the sewerage problem in this town. Jumping over a bust sewer as I crisscross different parts of this city hustling is a big turnoff. The mere thought of that pungent smell that emanates from a poorly maintained sewerage system discourages me from even leaving my humble rented house in the morning.
- Avail water to our taps. Most Nairobians’ biggest headache is the taps that run dry for weeks giving water cartels an opportunity to exploit us by hawking water for Kshs 50 per 20 litre jerrican. Of course we buy it because we have no option anyway. The hustle has to continue. Even if it means doing a total overhaul of the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, and firing some people, you have our full support.
- Reign over your new foot soldiers, the city askaris, to behave. They have terrorized us for long enough. They have made enough money extorting us through their Kanju Kingdom cartels. Let them now leave us to do business in peace.
Dear Sonko,
When you just deliver on the above, Wewe Ni Wetu.
Otherwise, I wish you all the best as you get sworn in today. Kazi kwako sasa.
Regards,
Alvan Kinyua aka Mr Chronicles
Nairobi Hustler