Comedian Sammy Kioko can breathe a sigh of relief after former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko agreed to intervene over his alleged tender dispute with Machakos County Government.
Speaking on Monday evening during an interview on Obinna TV show, the aggrieved comedian expressed his frustration over the delays in the payment of Ksh19 million by Governor Wavinya Ndeti's administration.
Kioko narrated how the non-payment of the money had impacted his businesses and mental well-being, a situation he says forced him to seek assistance from close friends.
The comedian revealed that several attempts to reach out to senior county officials, including the governor, proved futile, triggering a series of accusations and counter-accusations.
He claims that the payment has been outstanding for nearly two years despite completing the tender and even submitting documented proofs of deliveries to the Machakos County procurement office.
Out of empathy, the show host, Oga Obinna, decided to directly contact the Wiper party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, a close political ally of Governor Wavinya Ndeti, in an attempt to seek assistance on Kioko's behalf.
However, Obinna's efforts were immediately disapproved by the opposition leader's team, who reportedly cautioned the him against reaching out to the politician regarding the disputed tender.
"Hi Obinna, the communication team is kindly asking you to stop calling SKM either online or offline. They say you are crossing the line," read a message allegedly delivered to Obinna by Kalonzo's team.
The alleged response by Kalonzo's team struck down Kioko's last gasp of hope in resolving the stalemate, which has dragged on for several weeks.
However, Obinna opted to contact former Nairobi Governor Sonko, whose response provided a lifeline for the disgruntled comedian.
Sonko, well known for his philanthropic nature, quickly agreed to help Kioko. He asked the comedian for a meet-up at his office on Tuesday morning.
The former county administrator promised to directly contact the Machakos Governor over the tender row, but speculated that the delayed payments could have been a result of the exchequer's delays in releasing capitation to counties.
"I really respect the governor, so let Kioko come tomorrow morning so that we can contact the governor. You never know. Maybe the county is broke, but we will try to find a way through, even if it means getting payment in instalments," Sonko said.
"I have seen the story on the internet, so I will try to help him. Sometimes, the money has not been released by the exchequer because money often delays being released by the treasury," he added.
Amidst Kioko's concerns, the Machakos County Government recently slammed the comedian over what it described as a politically motivated scheme to derail Wavinya Ndeti's reputation.
