‘Sonko Road’ illegal - City Hall

 City Hall has termed it illegal

Nairobi Senator Mike Mbuvi Sonko just can’t get out of the news. Now, City Hall is mad at what is considered an attempt by the flashy politician to etch a lasting legacy in Nairobi.

It all boils down to ‘Sonko Road’ in Buruburu which is  named after the senator. City Hall has termed it ‘illegal’ plans to bring down the signage that flaunts the senator’s name.

The road connects from Outering Road,  through Mutindwa Market to Buruburu estate.

“We did not approve that name. There are procedures to be followed when naming roads and I am surprised somebody has put such a name on our road,” Roads and Transport Executive Officer Mohammed Abdullahi said.

It is claimed that youths hurriedly put the signpost bearing the senator’s name on January 22, moments after President Uhuru launched the expansion of Outering Road.

It is unclear who instructed the youths. The senator did not respond to a message by The Nairobian seeking his comment on the matter.

Abdullahi told The Nairobian that the move was an illegality the county would not tolerate.

In September last year, a road named after governor Evans Kidero raised a storm, forcing the county administration to pull down its signage.

“It is a policy that we don’t name roads after living persons, apart from the president, his deputy, first lady or notable foreign figures. We’ll investigate further but we must remove that signpost,” Abdullahi said on January 28

The road has not had a name for a long time. On November 19, 2014, the County Assembly floated the idea of naming a road after the late Homa Bay senator Otieno Kajwang, but the move was not actualised.

Earlier in January, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho said they were planning to name a road in Mombasa after the late Fidel Odinga.

-James Mwangi