Governor Mike Sonko was angered by an article that was published in the Daily Nation dated February 28, 2020.
After the article titled Sonko Enemies Have the Last Laugh, was published, he was quick to react to it, explaining his side of the story. The newspaper had indicated that the governor declined to follow instructions on payment of pending bills.
"My attention has been drawn to a misleading article authored by one Nyambega Gisesa and published in the Daily Nation of Friday, February 28, 2020, insinuating that “my enemies” have had the last laugh," Sonko stated.
"That such mischief can find space in their newspapers reeks of high irresponsibility in journalism, journalism that's anchored on carelessness and does not reason with facts," he reiterated.
In the post, Sonko shared compliance audit queries among other documents, highlighting the possible conflict of interest in payments made to companies associated with county employees.
On 27th January 2020, he established that the director/shareholder of one of the companies highlighted by the auditor general, Nanku Company (Kenya) Limited, was Nancy Wanjiku Kahiga, the mother of then-acting CECM Finance and Economic Planning, Pauline Nyambura Kahiga Waititu.
The governor shared that on upon this realization, he had to sack Pauline Nyambura Kahiga Waititu with immediate effect and appointed Allan Igambi as the CECM, Finance & Economic Planning.
However, Pauline Kahiga refused to vacate office and continued initiating payments, working with the former county chief officer for finance and economic planning, Washington Odhiambo Odingo, who was dismissed from service on February 19, 2020.
Having cleared the air, the governor went ahead to reiterate his commitment to the transfer of crucial functions to the national government. He assured the people of Nairobi that he was going to ensure that the remaining six (6) out of the ten (10) functions of the county government would be successfully executed in line with the constitution and laws of Kenya.
"Nairobi remains unique as the capital city of Kenya, and this new arrangement, shall go a long way in ensuring greater investment into critical sectors and services of the city in our efforts to restore the long lost glory of “the green city under the sun," he concluded.
