Judge Odunga Orders Sonko to Pay Sh264 Million

High Court Judge George Odunga has ordered Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko to pay Sh264 Million to a lawyer, Prof Tom Ojienda.

Prof Ojienda had taken the Nairobi County administration to court over unpaid fees springing from legal work done for City Hall in 2014.

Sonko's administration had challenged the lawyer's claims in five different suits that were all heard by Justice Odunga.

[caption caption="High Court Judge George Odunga"][/caption]

According to City Hall, the fees were accumulated by the previous administration that was led by Dr Evans Kidero.

They further contested the exorbitant amount quoted by Prof Ojienda, who demanded Sh1.84 Billion from the government as compensation.

In a determination given by the court's taxing master, Sonko's administration was ordered to then pay Sh264 Million to the lawyer. At this point, the Governor's team moved to appeal the ruling before the High Court. 

"In my view, the only way in which Nairobi County can avoid payment where there is a valid judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction is to show that the judgment has been set aside on appeal or on review or that an order of stay has been issued suspending execution of the said judgment.

"The order staying execution must, however, be made in the matter in which the judgment was issued. To that extent Nairobi County’s application, brought as it is in a matter other than one in which the decree was issued, is in my view incompetent," Judge Odunga ruled.

Justice Odunga has recently become a household name after delivering various rulings concerning the Kenyan elections.

[caption caption="Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko"][/caption]

Most prominent among these was the case in which the Opposition coalition sought to compel the IEBC to admit presidential results announced at the constituency level declared as final.

The ruling earned Judge Odunga a severe backlash with the ruling party politicians accusing him of favouring the Opposition because he is allegedly related to Siaya Senator James Orengo.

Read More: Judge George Odunga is Orengo's Relative - Top Official Reveals