Ex-Nairobi County Attorney distances Sonko from disputed JamboPay contract in court
According to his defense team, Sonko maintained that Nairobi County was not ready to renew the JamboPay contract and that the most prudent step was to modernise the revenue collection system.
The former Nairobi County Attorney on Monday moved to distance ex-Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko from the disputed Web Tribe/JamboPay contract, telling the court that Sonko's administration was under no obligation to adopt legacy systems carried over from previous county governments.
During cross-examination before Chief Magistrate Charles Ondieki, Lydia Kwamboka confirmed that Web Tribe Limited had originally been engaged by the defunct City Council of Nairobi to provide revenue collection services.
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When asked why no legal action was ever taken against the firm, the witness said the office she worked in did not handle criminal matters.
Another witness, Newtone Munene, a businessman and former Nairobi County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for ICT, told the court that during his tenure, he handled several engagements with Web Tribe.
He recalled that soon after taking office, a colleague introduced a memo recommending the termination of the JamboPay contract and the onboarding of a new service provider.
The court also heard a phone recording allegedly between Sonko and the then ICT CEC. In the audio clip, Sonko is heard insisting that he did not want to "hear the issue of JamboPay," saying that his administration would not inherit "problems from past regimes."
He is further heard complaining that the payment system was being switched off by unknown persons. Sonko reportedly directed his team to migrate to an upgraded system, claiming that the software in use had been operational for "over 20 years."
According to his defense team, Sonko maintained that Nairobi County was not ready to renew the JamboPay contract and that the most prudent step was to modernise the revenue collection system.
Munene told the court that the former governor had raised concerns that the existing system did not provide accurate data for decision-making.
"My job was to ensure I provided him with a proper data centre. Web Tribe was collecting revenue, and strangely, they would collect money and pay themselves directly," he testified. "Governor Sonko was very vocal about it because it was against the law, and he decided to terminate their contract."
Munene added that, in his view, Web Tribe had failed to deliver sufficient value to the county.
Also mentioned during the hearing was Allan Esabwa Igambi, a former Nairobi County Executive Committee Member in charge of Finance, who was involved in the county's financial management during Sonko's administration.
The case will be mentioned on January 29, 2026.
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