He was in Diani for a Cabinet retreat where they carried out a review of the just-concluded financial year 2023/24.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Thursday, July 4 denied allegations of hiring goons to infiltrate the anti-Finance Bill protests to cause havoc and loot businesses in the Central Business District (CBD).
Speaking to the media, the county boss revealed that he was not in the capital when the goons swept through the city, breaking into shops and robbing ordinary citizens as well as protesters on Tuesday, July 2.
According to him, he was in Diani for a Cabinet retreat where they carried out a review of the just-concluded financial year 2023/24.
However, he did request for investigations to be carried out after an undated clip showing unknown youth emerging from City Hall with crude weapons onboard boda bodas went viral.
Aerial view of City Hall. /NAIROBI NEWS
“I saw a clip on Tuesday of alleged goons coming out of City Hall which I have asked to be investigated.
“I was at the Coast, we have been there for the whole week with the Cabinet just doing our end-of-year retreat and planning for the new financial year. I would hate that something like that was planned from City Hall from whoever it is,” said Sakaja.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Governor further accused some of his political opponents of taking advantage of the Tuesday protests to taint his image by linking him to the goons in the city.
“Normally when you are in such a situation, the first casualty is the truth, and opportunistic politicians even try to bring themselves into such a move to taint their opponents.
“If somebody would claim that I the governor was meeting people to plan violence in City Hall yet I was in Diani with my cabinet,” he added.
Sakaja made the remarks after Kenyans, through the clip, questioned why goons were captured outside City Hall during the protests after security agencies confirmed that goons had infiltrated the peaceful protests.
The goons have been accused of wreaking havoc by destroying property worth billions of shillings and making away with goods on retail. Police were yet to arrest the politicians accused of hiring the goons.
The Nairobi Governor further condemned the looting of businesses and destruction of property during the Tuesday demos, arguing that he has always believed in clean politics even when it is not within his political side of the equation.
Meanwhile, an undated clip emerged on Wednesday, July 3 showing hired goons lamenting that they were not paid by their sponsors in exchange for participating in the #OccupyEverywhere protests.
“I was called in the morning to go to City Hall. We were like 50, me and my boys. They gave us these batons. They gave us tasks to the point that some of us were hit by teargas,” one goon was captured saying, brandishing his ‘rungu’.
“Right now, we are calling your phones but you are not picking, yet we saved you. We protected their property. We are going to Riverside. Didn’t you call us to go to City Hall? You will pay what you owe us!”
The men further claimed that they had only been paid a fraction of the entire sum – a downpayment – and had demanded for the entire payment to be settled, or else.
