Last phone conversation between Sonko and Igathe reveals their relationship

A leaked conversation recording of Nairobi County Governor Mike Sonko and his outgoing deputy Polycarp Igathe shows the two were in good working terms just a day before the latter handed in his resignation.

Mr. Igathe on Friday, January 12 sent a short message to newsrooms saying that he had failed to earn Sonko’s trust. “I regret having failed to earn the trust of the governor to enable me to drive administration and management of the county,” his statement read.

He also notified his followers on his Twitter handle saying that he will only be in office until the end of the month on January 31.

Following his resignation, most Kenyans speculated what could have caused the fallout, barely five months after the two took office. Many said that the two failed to agree in many decisions concerning management of the County.

Rumours going as far as mid-December pointed that the two were at loggerheads with some saying Igathe had been turned into an errand boy. Sonko and Igathe however dismissed those talks, with both saying they were doing alright. The rumors even prompted Sonko to send screenshots of chats between them.

In the leaked audio, the two are heard having a healthy conversation while Sonko briefs Igathe on road projects. He even tells him of workers at the city hall who had inflated vouchers.

“Your road projects are doing well although there are some employees from finance who have tried inflating figures,” Sonko informed Igathe. He went ahead and named who Igathe should be on the lookout for.

Sonko then told his deputy to attend an interview at a local TV and talk about garbage collection, assuring him that the County will be alright.

Before handing the phone to his uncle, Sonko told Igathe that the system that they inherited from the defunct City Council in 2012 is a dead system and were sabotaging them.

Igathe then spoke to Sonko’s uncle and they had a lengthy conversation.

From the tone of the conversation, it is evident that the two were a team working towards the same goal.