Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko's team, found itself in hot water after failing to account for garbage money to the tune of Ksh160 million.
Officers from the environment department irregularly made payments of Ksh162 million to only two garbage collection firms instead of 11 contracted companies.
Appearing before a committee at City Hall, the officers could not provide elaborate details of payment vouchers made to the companies, the list of the 11 companies, as well as supporting contractual documents.
Nairobi County Assembly's Public Accounts Committee had, on Tuesday, summoned acting Environment chief officer, Mohammed Abdi, and director, Isaac Muraya, to respond to queries raised by the auditor general.
The committee was investigating a payment of Ksh202.9 million to the 11 firms when the revelations emerged.
The auditor's report had first raised eyebrows in the award of the money claiming that some funds had allegedly been disbursed, even though the firms were not qualified to offer services in certain areas.
"Although it has been explained that the firms opted to collect garbage from some zones due to high rates of payment, the option taken contravened their individual contracts resulting in denial of service to other zones.
"Consequently, the garbage collection contracts were irregular and the residents may not have received the services contracted,” Business Daily quoted the report in part.
In early June, the governor cancelled a Ksh400 million car deal that was meant to furnish his staff with high-end vehicles.
He explained, at the time, that the money would best impact Nairobians if used to acquire ambulances, construction of roads and regeneration of Nairobi River.
