Hitherto unknown budding politician in the name of Johnson Sakaja shot into the national limelight eight years ago when he was appointed the interim chairman of the then The National Alliance (TNA) political party of which Kenya’s current president Uhuru Kenyatta was its leader.

Sakaja was known and respected not so much for his political prowess and vision but for his relationship with Uhuru which he and then TNA secretary-general Onyango Oloo wasted no time to exploit to the brim by repeatedly reminding the public that, Uhuru who later won the 2013 presidential was their buddy.

Indeed, Sakaja’s rapport with the newly-elected Head of State saw the youthful politician make his parliamentary debut as a Nominated MP. 

When the 2017 election came by, Sakaja gunned for the position of Nairobi Senator, which he won decisively, largely in part  owing to his closeness with Uhuru in addition to having fashioned himself as a forthright moralist and voice of the youths.

To a large extent, Sakaja has juggled with his responsibilities as an elected legislator with a tinge of admirable energy and convincing commitment. That was until last Friday.

When Sakaja went on a drinking spree on that day and drunk himself silly past drinking hours and even breached the 9pm curfew imposed by President Uhuru himself, Sakaja dropped the ball and lost all the positives that he has achieved since his entry into Kenyan politics.

The senator was found still drinking at 1:30am. Without any cause for remorse, he is reported to have become insolent and hurled some epithets at the police officers on patrol and even –  may be invoking his association with the President – threatened to have them transferred.

For his word and deed, Sakaja spent the night at Kilimani Police Station and was released on Saturday morning. He is expected to be charged today.

Sakaja, the representative of Kenya’s capital city is now a national shame. Sakaja is a shame to the Kenyan political leadership, a betrayer of the youths and an epitome the foolishness and impunity that has long defined the country’s political class. 

He is a let down, not only to his friend President Kenyatta who is trying all he can to galavanise the nation into fighting the rampant coronavirus pandemic, but also to his family, friends, fellow senators and the people of Nairobi.

He is a let down because he does not only chair the crucial Senate Labour and Social Welfare Committee, he is also the chairman of the Senate Ad hoc Covid-19 Response committee tasked with exploring the ways in which the country should navigate around, and past, the novel coronavirus.

Senator Sakaja owes his mentor Uhuru an apology. He similarly owes one to  Nairobians,  the youths and  people of this country in general.

When he appears in the Chambers next, Sakaja must take the floor and render his apologies unreservedly.

Though he is not alone, Sakaja is a total shame because in his Kenyans youths saw a polished and straight-forward leader cut from a different cloth compared to the indecent and law-breaking dinosaurs that still dot our political space. — The writer is Revise Editor with People Daily