Governor Evans Kidero and Senator Mike Sonko in near fist fight at the Senate

Senator Mike Sonko (L) and Governor Evans Kidero. The hallowed committee rooms of Kenya’s Senate were yesterday turned into a boxing ring when two of the city’s senior-most politicians engaged in a brawl. (PHOTO: COURTESY)

The hallowed committee rooms of Kenya’s Senate were yesterday turned into a boxing ring when two of the city’s senior-most politicians engaged in a brawl.

In the full glare of other senators, senior county officials, journalists and parliamentary orderlies, Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and the city’s Senator Mike Sonko threatened each other before the issue escalated intoa full-blown brawl, which was only stopped when the rest of the senators stepped in.

What began as an early morning meeting of the Senate's Public Accounts Committee ended up in a near shoot-out as the bodyguards of the two top politicians stormed the meeting room to save their principals.

Prof Anyang' Nyong'o, the chairman of the committee, had summoned Mr Kidero to explain some of the audit queries the Auditor General had raised. Mr Kidero was asked to explain how much the county government had generated from the collection of land rates. The Governor said the land rates had accumulated to Sh96 billion and pointed fingers at the National Government which owed the county billions but little had been achieved.

"Even Parliament has arrears and so do many other government institutions. We have even petitioned the Senate to help us in an effort to collect the cash," said Kidero.

It was at this point that Mr Sonko, who is eyeing the governor's seat in the next polls, shot up and accused the governor of graft. Mr Sonko then made sensational claims and accused Mr Kidero of grabbing land through proxies from those who had arrears. The Senator said there was no need for the Senate to help him get the funds.

"Chairman, I would like to table papers here that show that some people have had their property disposed of when they failed to pay their land rates; we have a number in Kilimani who have lost property and their efforts to pursue the matter has been frustrated by threats from the governor's people," said Mr Sonko.

He then started accusing Kidero of corruption.

"Kidero is stealing land from those who cannot afford to pay land rates, he took land from one person at Kilimani, and when the sickly woman tried to protest she was manhandled by the county officials and later died," said Sonko.

After Sonko's accusation, Nyamira Senator Mong'are Okong'o asked the committee chairman if it was in order for the Nairobi Senator to introduce extraneous issues (outside of audit queries) to the committee. But an angry Sonko interjected.

"I am speaking as Senator for Nairobi...Hapa sio Nyamira (this is not Nyamira), as Senator for Nairobi, we want the governor to answer these questions, if the Senator (Mong'are) has been bribed by the governor, then he should keep quiet," said Sonko.

Done with Mr Mong'are, Mr Sonko continued insulting Mr Kidero and his Chief of Staff George Wainaina. Things got out of hand when Mr Sonko took a file to Mr Nyong'o, who was speaking with the governor. He looked Mr Kidero right in the face and insulted him.

The visibly angry Kidero told Sonko: "Young man, I can beat you up." Almost immediately, Sonko told the Governor that he was not his child. And in a frightening speed, Sonko punched Kidero in the chest. An angry Kidero charged at Sonko but was stopped by Senators who created a buffer between the two before the Nairobi Senator was whisked out by the sergeant-at-arms.