Nairobi County Assembly member Kennedy Swaka has sharply criticised Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei over remarks made in the Senate concerning service delivery in the capital, accusing him of spreading misleading information and failing to appreciate progress made under Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Swaka, who represents Gatina Ward in Dagoretti North Constituency, said he was “deeply upset” by the debate, accusing Cherargei of commenting without factual grounding.
“Honourable Cherargei, sometimes you need to go and look for authentic information before releasing it to the public, because what you are saying is completely wrong,” Swaka said, adding that the Senator’s comments demonstrated a lack of understanding of developments in Nairobi.
He particularly faulted Cherargei’s assertions regarding the state of county health facilities, including claims that Pumwani Hospital lacks an Intensive Care Unit.
“Pumwani has an ICU, and we also have county-managed hospitals with ICUs, including Mama Lucy Hospital and Mutuini Hospital,” Swaka said. He emphasized that county hospitals rely solely on county budgets, unlike national referral hospitals, which receive treasury allocations.
“You cannot compare Kenyatta Hospital and Pumwani Hospital. You are the senator — you should be advocating for more money for counties,” he said.
Swaka also defended the county’s infrastructure record, stating that Nairobi has undertaken significant road rehabilitation and pathway upgrades, and challenged Cherargei to “walk around Nairobi CBD” to see the improvements.
On garbage collection, Swaka dismissed claims that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga issued a 60-day ultimatum to address waste management, urging respect for his legacy.
“Don’t refer to the former Prime Minister every now and then when you want to bring an issue. Respect the family. There was no discussion about 60 days — I was in that meeting,” he said.
The MCA accused Cherargei of habitually disrespecting Governor Sakaja during Senate appearances.
“We have seen many times when Sakaja comes to the Senate, you harass him and don’t give him time to explain what he has done in Nairobi,” Swaka said, arguing that such conduct was unbecoming of a legislator.
He urged the Senator to focus on improving services in Nandi County, rather than “sweeping a neighbour’s house before sweeping his own,” and insisted Nairobi leaders would not tolerate continued attacks on the governor.
“We are saying that we will not allow you to continue disregarding and disrespecting Nairobi County and the Governor of Nairobi,” Swaka said.
