Governor Sakaja And Senator Sifuna Clash  As Health Workers Issue Strike Notice

• A strike notice dated 24^th April 2023 which has since been received by Governor Sakaja, CEC for Health Services, Chief Officer Public Health, Chief Officer Public Service Management, Chief Officer Medical Services, CEC Boroughs, Administration and Personnel and Chief Officer Health Facilities has sent cold shivers down the spine of the governor and his administration

By The Weekly Vision

Nairobi Senator who is also the ODM party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna’s secret war against Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is now spilling over into the public domain. During the recent Azimio rally in Kibera, Sifuna fired the first salvo when he asked Azimio leader Raila Odinga to allow him to run against Sakaja in the 2027 elections.

Governor Sakaja in a quick rejoinder accused SG Sifuna of inciting the people of Nairobi against his administration. Mr Sifuna had accused Governor Sakaja of dismissing over 3,000 county staff hired under the defunct NMS. Governor Sakaja is now accusing Sifuna of inciting county union health workers to go on strike and thereby paralyse the provision of health services in the county.

Sources say Mr Sifuna held a secret meeting with officials of the health union and urged them to give a strike notice.  It was after the secret meeting that the union officials in a letter addressed to Governor Sakaja gave a 14 days strike notice with effect from 24^th April 2023 citing lack of promotion, stagnation in the same job group, and redesignations among other grievances.

A strike notice dated 24^th April 2023 which has since been received by Governor Sakaja, CEC for Health Services, Chief Officer Public Health, Chief Officer Public Service Management, Chief Officer Medical Services, CEC Boroughs, Administration and Personnel and Chief Officer Health Facilities has sent cold shivers down the spine of the governor and his administration.

Governor Sakaja has accused Senator Sifuna and Azimio of inciting health workers against his administration.  Investigations reveal that Senator Sifuna has been holding meetings with the single aim of destabilizing Sakaja’s administration ahead of the 2027 elections. Analysts will agree that the Nairobi gubernatorial seat has had a jinx of one term since the creation of counties. The first holder Dr. Evans Kidero served for one term and lost in the subsequent election of 2017 to Mike Sonko who served for only three years before he was impeached.

Mr Sonko’s successor Ann Kananu served for one year paving the way for Governor Sakaja. The hard question is whether Sakaja will break the jinx and serve for two terms. Going by Azimo’s game plan, Sifuna is likely to run for the gubernatorial race against Sakaja, something Sakaja knows might send him home. The Weekly Vision also understands that Mr Sonko is fighting for a declaration that his impeachment was unconstitutional so as to make him eligible for the 2027 elections.

In the event that Mr Sonko is cleared, chances are high that he will come back to Nairobi to run against Governor Sakaja in Kenya Kwanza nominations and whose results we can predict will be a Sonko victory. A contest between Sonko and Sifuna will be full of political fireworks and unpredictable. However, analysts say should Sonko return to Mombasa, a gubernatorial contest between Sifuna and Sakaja will be unpredictable. As things stand now, Sifuna is busy laying grounds for his gubernatorial bid come 2027.