Mike Sonko

Mike Sonko
Governor of Nairobi
Assumed office
21 August 2017
Preceded by Evans Kidero
Senator of Nairobi
In office
2013–2017
President Uhuru Kenyatta
Preceded by Inaugural officeholder
Succeeded by Sakaja Johnson
Member of the Kenyan Parliament
In office
2010–2013
President Mwai Kibaki
Preceded by Dick Wathika
Succeeded by Benson Kangara
Constituency Makadara
Personal details
Born Mbuvi Gideon Kioko [1]
(1975-02-27) February 27, 1975
Mombasa
Nationality Kenyan
Political party Jubilee Party of Kenya
Alma mater Kenya Methodist University[2]
Occupation Businessman, Politician
Website www.sonko.co.ke

Mbuvi Gideon Kioko Mike Sonko [1] commonly known as Mike Sonko or simply Sonko (Sheng for "rich person" or "boss"),[3] is a Kenyan politician who currently serves as the Second Governor of Nairobi since devolution.

Early life and education

Mike Mbuvi Sonko was born in Mombasa in 1975. His father, Mzee Kivanguli was Kamba from Mua Hills Machakos County. He attended Kikowani Primary School before proceeding to Kwale High School.

Makadara Member of Parliament and Nairobi Senator

Mike Sonko rose to national political prominence when he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Makadara Constituency, Kenya at the age of 35. The September 20, 2010 by-election was occasioned by a successful petition by Reuben Ndolo.[4][5]

After the inauguration of the new constitution of Kenya in 2010 and the creation of the county governments, Sonko announced his intention to run for Senator in Nairobi County. He became the First Senator of Nairobi after it was announced that, with 808,705 votes, he beat his closest competitor, Margaret Wanjiru of the Orange Democratic Movement, who had garnered 525,822 votes, in the Nairobi senatorial election of 2013.[6] Unlike his time in parliament, where he gained notoriety for flaunting House Rules, including incidences of inappropriate dressing, the Senator mostly dressed in official attire.[7]

During his time in the Senate, he formed the Sonko Rescue Team,[8] an officially registered Non-Governmental Organization[9] that provided government-like services to residents of Nairobi slums. The then governor of Nairobi County, Dr. Evans Kidero opposed the activities of the group, citing conflict of interests with the county government's operations. The Senator acquiesced and donated the vehicles to the county government after several weeks of tense public exchanges.[10]

Nairobi Governor

As early as January 2016, Mike Sonko had announced his intentions to run for Governor of Nairobi County in the Kenyan general election, 2017. After a grueling primary campaign against Peter Kenneth, Sonko ran for the Gubernatorial seat for Nairobi County with the Jubilee Party of Kenya and defeated the incumbent Evans Kidero to become the second Governor of Nairobi.

Remarkable event(s)

After the Westgate shopping mall attack in September 2013, Sonko claimed that he had warned the security services of a possible attack three months prior to the incident .[11][12]

References

  1. 1 2 "Mike Sonko name now formal". the-star.co.ke. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  2. ↑ http://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/news/sonko-spends-millions-daughters-exclusive-graduation-bash/
  3. ↑ Kenyan politician thrown out of parliament for earrings CNN, March 3, 2011
  4. ↑ "THE SONKONIZATION OF NAIROBI: How Mike Sonko Is Reshaping City Politics | The Elephant". The Elephant. 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
  5. ↑ Makadara results IIECK September 2010
  6. ↑ "The rise and rise of Servant Sonko in politics of the city". Daily Nation. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  7. ↑ CNN, From David McKenzie,. "Kenyan politician thrown out of parliament for earrings". Retrieved 2017-09-14.
  8. ↑ "SONKO RESCUE TEAM". sonkorescue.blogspot.co.ke. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
  9. ↑ "Sonko registers rescue team as NGO". The Star, Kenya. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
  10. ↑ "Sonko disbands rescue team in Kidero's support at father's funeral". The Star, Kenya. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
  11. ↑ Bariyo, Nicholas; Vogt, Heidi; Bryan-Low, Cassell (25 September 2013). "Kenya Starts Probe in Wake of Mall Siege". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  12. ↑ "Mike Sonko claims he alerted NSIS..." The Kenyan Daily Post. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.


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