MCAs want officers in Sh500m legal fee scam to quit

Nairobi MCAs now want officers in the legal department to step-down from their duties to pave way for thorough investigations into the She500 million legal fees paid to 26 law firms.

The MCAs on Monday stormed City Hall’s County Attorney and Chief Officer’s office demanding to know how and why the county paid such an amount to law firms when it has a legal department.

They wanted details on payments made to legal firms and why some were prioritized over those which have been genuinely representing the county.

The MCAs were ODM’s Deputy Minority Whip Moses Ogeto, David Okello (Huruma), Maurice Gari (Nairobi West), Alvin Palapala (Kitusuru), Redson Otieno (Ngei), Jared Akama ( Mugumu-Ini), Lawrence Lawi ( Sarang’ombe), Francis Ngesa (Dandora Four) and Clarence Munga (Kabiro)

For close to an hour, the ward reps were at the Chief Officer for Finance Halkano Waqo’s office to inquire if he had given permission for the money to be paid to legal firms.

Dandora Area Four MCA Francis Otieno claimed that some MCAs were behind the push and pull in the payment done to certain legal firms which they had fronted.

He questioned his counterparts’ motive on legal payments and wondered why they don’t put in the same effort on other county matters.

“We cannot allow our counterparts to misuse county money for their own interests. Payments to law firms should be made equally and not pushing for their own agenda,” Otieno said.

After leaving Waqo’s office, the MCAs proceeded to County Attorney Lydia Kwamboka’s office, spending at least 30 minutes

The MCAs warned that if the county officers made payments to legal firms at the expense of giving out school bursaries then it will not be business as usual at City Hall.

On his side, Waqo said that the county will follow the law in payment done to legal firms.