By Joseph Mwangi
Following a report in parliament by Roads Minister Franklin Bett that a consultant is due to conclude his work on March, 2012 to undertake expansion of Outer Ring road, traders operating at Mutindwa market are now appealing to the Local Government Minister to allocate them alternative land to put up their businesses.
Bett was replying to a question by Makadara MP Mike Sonko who wanted to know if the minister was aware of the frequent traffic snarl-ups on Outer Ring Road, especially at the Donholm and Kariobangi roundabouts, and what immediate and longterm measures will the Government take to remedy the problem.
In his reply, the minister categorically stated that Mutindwa market traders will be given notice to vacate to pave way for the expansion of the road. It is this answer which provoked Sonko who stood on a point of order and asked “Could he give a further undertaking that when the construction works on the Outer Ring Road begin, we will not experience another Syokimau demolition and that the Government will issue notices and compensate all property owners whose properties will be affected by the extension of this road, including the Mutindwa Market?”
On his part, Bett replied “Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will not give an undertaking not to demolish structures on the road reserves. If structures are on the road, bona fide road reserves, they will have to be removed. My Ministry will, however, endeavour to give notice to the illegal occupants of the road reserves”. Sonko is now demanding that apart from giving notice, the traders should be reallocated to an alternative land.
The traders are now demanding that their MP should pile pressure on the Local government Minister Musalia Mudavadi to ensure the Mutindwa traders are allocated alternative land before they are given notice to demolish the structures.
Sources say, Sonko has agreed to take up the matter with the Government to ensure the families who were earning their living from the market continue with their daily activities uninterrupted. Sonko is known to be defending the rights of his constituents as had been previously seen
In a related development, last week’s ODM polls for Makadara constituency was a do or die battle for former MP Reuben Ndolo whose camp lost to Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa. The elections saw officials allied to Aladwa sweep clean all the seats at the sub-location and location levels as Ndolo and his team sent packing.
Aladwa was elected Nairobi ODM branch chairman but unconfirmed reports said the party’s elections board had called for a repeat poll after Ndolo and Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru claimed that Aladwa was favoured by the returning officer a claim that Aladwa and his supporters have vehemently denied.
In a quick rejoinder, Aladwa has categorically said that he is ready for a repeat poll and has warned the two politicians to prepare themselves for a devastating defeat.
Some of Aladwa’s supporters were overheard bragging that those are signs of things to come in 2012 elections. Aladwa has been under pressure to contest the Makadara seat in 2012.
Sources now say Ndolo is blaming his political opponents from PNU for lobbying their supporters who are not ODM members to vote against him. He is in particularly pointing accusing finger at Makadara MP Mike Sonko whom he acussed was spotted late in the night holding secret meetings with his supporters where he allegedly distributed huge sums of money to his supporters to vote for Aladwa. According to sources, Sonko was reciprocating on the support Aladwa gave him during the Makadara Constituency by-election when he campaigned for Sonko against Ndolo.
Sonko had earlier reciprocated this when he also lobbied Nairobi councillors allied to PNU to vote for Aladwa during the mayoral elections in which Aladwa was overwhelmingly elected. Ndolo, according to sources is said to be giving up on Makadara politics and is said to have confided in his close allies that he could switch his political base from Makadara to the new Nairobi West constituency or Kibera Constituency.
It will however be interesting to see how Sonko and Aladwa will face off in 2012 elections for the Makadara seat considering that the two are political buddies. But going by Sonko’s development record in Makadara, it will be a near impossible task to unseat Sonko who has made inroads even in what for many years have been perceived as Ndolo and ODM strongholds.
Although pressure is mounting on him to go for the Senate seat, in that event, Aladwa will definitely win the Makadara seat but with Sonko in the race, he better relocate his political base to another constituency. However, Sonko has kept his supporters in the dark as to whether he will defend his Makadara seat or upgrade his political interest in 2012.