Stop Sideshows, Face Graft Allegations-Abass tells Off Sakaja
The fallout between Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and Members of County Assembly( MCAs) continues to detororiate following the removal from office of County Attorney Lydia Kwamboka.
The governor on Tuesday last week kicked out Kwamboka from office and locked it himself despite outrage from the public over the county’s procurement malpractices and allegations of illegal payments.
Kwamboka who has been sacked has served in the position for over five years since the tenure of former Governor Mike Sonko.
Governor Sakaja appointed Christine Ireri as Acting County Attorney in a move that has been seen as a diversionary tactic by a section of MCAs following allegations that the county has made illegal payments to law firms that never worked for the county.
Governor Sakaja has fallen out with a section of MCAs over random suspension and sacking of county officials.This strategy according to rebel MCAs was used by former Governor Mike Sonko who used to reshuffle and suspend county officials who didn’t agree with his policies.
Kwamboka’s office was locked on Tuesday evening through an order by Governor Sakaja.
The move has been criticised by South C MCA Abbas Khalif who has warned the governor against firing county staff arbitrary and engaging in sideshows.
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” What Sakaja is doing is wrong.Why is he busy chasing senior officers who are just discharging their mandate,” Abbas questioned
Mca Abbas said that Sakaja’s decisions have crippled operations at City Hall.
This comes afew days after Kwamboka told the Nairobi County Assembly Public Accounts Committee that the County’s finance and procurement departments have ignored her advice on payments related to law firms.
“Am frustrated with my job because when I authorise what to be paid,nothing happens,”she told public accounts committee last week when she appeared.
The County has been under sharp criticism for paying over Ksh 1.5 billion to law firms in what has been termed as hot air supply.
Kwamboka told the PAC committee that her recommediantons on legit firms to be paid have been ignored in favour of fictitious payments to favourable firms to the adminstration
Mca Abbas has warned Sakaja against arbitrary and uninformed sacking of county officials.He said the governor is trying to divert attention on the ongoing multi-million illegal payments at City Hall.
” The governor is trying to take us for a ride with his decisions because he knows he is paying fake suppliers and making millions out of it,” Abbas said.
Abbas said the dismissal of the county attorney will not help Sakaja to evade the wheels of justice and investigative agency.
” Whether he fires the County Attorney or not,he should be ready to carry his own cross,we will not allow corruption at City Hall,” he said.
The governor is also being criticized for playing to the public gallery while allowing corruption to thrive in key departments at cityhall.
Some MCAs who spoke on request of anonymity said the Schools Feeding Program that was halted by the court was another scheme to loot public resources.
The county was flagged by the Controller of Budget
Officer for making illegal payments requisitions, and there are fears that billions have already been lost through dubious pahments.
Governor Sakaja on Monday defended himself against the ongoing investigations where he blamed a section of MCAs of working with cartels to bring him down.
The showdown between the Governor and the rebel MCAs is expected to grow even bigger after the devolution conference with reports that an impeachment motion is on the cards.
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