Elections Watch 2013: Nairobi Senator Aspirant Mike Sonko Live Studio Interview on Citizen TV

Mike Sonko is a senator aspirant of Nairobi county and currently the man to beat. he has captured the aspirations of the youths in this country who form the majority of the population. His campaign style and appearances are more of a rapper than a politicians. Is he going to influence how future aspirants campaign?

Watch his interview on Citizen Tv on January 23, 2013

Nomination Briefs: Meet Sonko, Mike Sonko the TNA Senator Aspirant causing ripples in Nairobi

Meet Mike Sonko

Mike Sonko has become something of an urban legend in Nairobi following his dramatic entry into the 10^th parliament through a by-election in Makadara.  He has since then transformed the political est. into two era's Before Sonko and After Sonko. These days Sonko is usually in the news for all the obvious reasons which range from the good and to the damn right ugly.

Sonko has he is fondly known has mastered the art of being in people’s minds. Together with Embakasi legislature Ferdinand Waititu have made a name for themselves by claiming to fight for the common man and going full throttle to show this in stunts which are broadcasted by Kenyan Media houses.

What is interesting about these two politicians is the on-line buzz they command. To get a feel of the magnitude. Mike Sonko official Facebook page has over one hundred and fifty eight thousand likes and counting and over twenty thousand talking about this! 

Mike Sonko's Facebook Page Cover

Sonko also commands five aliases on Twitter; @MikeSonkoM, @GideonMbuvi, @MbuviMikeSonko

@GideonKioko and @RealMikeSonko

Sonko has also appeared in a number of interviews most prominent which I have come across was a Google hangout organized by Ghetto Radio in December 21, 2012 in which he talked among other things the Somali incursion by Kenyan military!

Other notable mentions are his appearance in Jaguar Video as a shoe shiner! Watch it below

Mike Sonko Posters

Mike Sonko Posters

Mike Sonko Posters

Nairobi County Campaign Dispatches: Out of the Box Campaigning by Jimnah Mbaru [Is JM Kenya’s equivalent of London’s Boris Johnson?]

Campaign Slogan: Consider It Done Campaign

Nairobi has been turned into some sort of poster junk and all candidates are guilty of this offence. Everywhere you turn you will see posters of candidates vying for the March 4, 2013 elections. The problem has been made worse by the nominations which are currently taking place.  The irony I find in this is the same fellows appearing on these posters are promising heaven for Nairobi.

In fact the Nation Media Group chief has tweeted about the ongoing disaster on city streets

Nairobi city council should pass a by law pinning the responsibility of campaign posters on wrong places to the one whose picture appears.
— Linus Gitahi (@LGtwits) January 7, 2013

We are about to havehuge mess with posters from the chaps who want to lead us..someone has to be accountable for posters in wrong places.
— Linus Gitahi (@LGtwits) January 7, 2013

However, in all this mess I have been looking around for the new forms and creative means in which candidates are seeking the electorate vote. Jimnah Mbaru [and by pointing this out is by no means an endorsement] a candidate running for Nairobi governor is turning out to be the equivalent of London Mayor Boris Johnson. In terms of seeking that illusive vote he has gone on-line to engage the urban youth and middle class Nairobi.

London Mayor: Boris Johnson 

One of the thing doing the rounds is his curriculum vitae [see the impressive CV here] and compare it with what XYZ Show guys have come up with as Mike Sonko CV [Mike Sonko blog show be coming up soon…].

Mike Sonko purported CV [Source XYZ]

The two candidates seem to have focused their energies to different segments of the city. With Mike Sonko who is running for Senator of Nairobi appealing to the youth and people living in informal settlements. However, when you look at their posters none seems to be communicating to the so so called hustlers [By using Sheng like Safaricom or Kiswahili]. Most of the posters and billboards are in Kiswahili and the thing that seems to attract or bring the crowds are the lorry convoys/parades which have dancers on board.

Watch Nitatimiza [I will deliver] Video

Pertinent Questions

Who is going to be his running mate?
Can he delivers what he is promising?
Is Jimnah Mbaru consider running for higher office in 2017 IF elected as city Governor?