Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko’s birthday wish to President Ruto has captivated many on social media.
The former Governor remembered fondly how he once purchased a Range Rover from the then Agriculture Minister, now President William Ruto that was mistaken as stolen from former President Daniel Arap Moi.
Below is Sonko’s narration:
As we celebrate the 57th birthday of our beloved president, I find it important niwaelezee TBT history kidogo kuhusu ukarimu wa huyu birthday boy. The man with the kindest heart.
19 years ago, when I was a nobody in the political arena of this country, I bought a Range Rover registration number KAQ 535W for 8,000,000/= from the then minister for Agriculture and Mp Eldoret North Hon. William Ruto (current president). This motor vehicle happened to be the same one that was being used by the former retired president, the late Daniel Arap Moi. There was a time when one of Moi’s cars was reported to have been stolen, and the police mistook it for this particular vehicle that I had bought from the birthday boy through a car dealer, Mr. Nganga Mundia, who also happened to have formally introduced me to him in 2004.
I vividly remember one morning my wife and children were driving to Uchumi supermarket in Buruburu when they were spotted and stopped by the flying squad team that had mistaken the car with the stolen one that belonged to the retired president. Out of panic, my wife sped off, but the flying squad team pursued her, arrested her, and confiscated the car at Buruburu police station. Our kids were not detained but got very traumatized, though. At this point, I sought the intervention of the birthday boy who without hesitation instructed the former PA to Mzee Moi to do a statement denying the reports that the vehicle that was detained at Buruburu police station was not the one stolen from Mzee Moi. My car was later released.
Zambezi Silver Station Wagon Range Rover, Petrol Engine – documents shared by Sonko described the vehilce thus.
However, since the images and videos of my car were circulated all over the media, around the year 2008, I decided to go to the registrar of motor vehicle offices to request for change of number plate. The registrar declined my request and told me to come with a letter of no objection from the registered owner of the car. I personally went back to look for the then-agriculture minister at his private offices at Transnational Plaza.
Imagine hata kama sikuwa lolote na chochote kwa historia ya siasa ya Kenya, huyu birthday boy alipoambiwa tu niko kwa reception he did not take even 5 minutes akanikaribisha kwa office yake tukakunywa chai na nikatoka na the letter of no objection addressed to the former registrar of motor vehicles Mr. Simon Kirgoty; who, after authenticating the letter from the then Agriculture minister, approved my request, and I was issued a new number plate. Happy birthday, Mr. President, and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
