Nairobi UDA MCAs accuse Senate of harassing Governor Sakaja

A section of Nairobi Members of County Assembly (MCAs) allied with the ruling party, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), has come out to defend Governor Johnson Sakaja from allegations claiming he is incompetent. 

The MCAs, led by Minority Whip Mark Mugambi, further accused the Senate of what they argued was the sensationalisation of Nairobi County to taint Sakaja’s image and reputation. 

"We have seen a political onslaught hoodwinked as oversight in Nairobi County. The governor and his executive have been attending both the senate and the county assembly faithfully,” Mugambi told the media at a press conference. 

“This financial year alone, the governor has been to the Senate more than 11 times and we are sure he will go there to respond," he added while responding to reports claiming that Sakaja had failed to honour Senate honours multiple times. 

The MCAs further alleged that senators singled out Sakaja out of 47 governors countrywide, with most county bosses failing to appear before them. 

"The Senate is not just about Nairobi and the auditor general issued audit reports for 47 counties. Many governors have never appeared at all, while Sakaja has been there more than 10 times this financial year. Why the double standard?" Mugambi posed.

On Wednesday, the Senate Energy Committee asked the inspector general of the police (IG), Japhet Koome, to arrest and present Governor Sakaja before it on April 25, 2024. The Nairobi boss was also fined Sh500,000 for failing to honour the committee’s summons.

Senators wanted Sakaja to shed more light on investigations conducted into the Miradi gas explosion, which occurred in the Embakasi area of Nairobi earlier this year, killing 12 residents and injuring over 200 others. 

Last week, the Senate Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang', also ordered Governor Sakaja to appear before it within 14 days to address audit queries after he skipped an earlier sitting. 

Contrary to the senators, the UDA legislators argued that Sakaja has appeared before the Senate whenever he is available. 

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja applauds after enjoying a performance at Mogra Children’s home in Roysambu on April 1, 2024. (Photo: Johnson Sakaja/X)

"The Governor and Executive have appeared before the Senate and county assembly several times to answer queries, many emanating from audit periods before his term began and it is normal for him to reschedule," Mugambi countered.

"Governor Sakaja is ready to appear and has no reason not to answer questions, politics notwithstanding," he added. 

The MCAs further claimed that a certain quarter, which they deviated from mentioning, isn't happy with Sakaja’s progress as governor, especially his efforts to resolve years of mismanagement. 

They further warned premature political hopefuls against derailing Sakaja from fulfilling his manifesto. The legislators pledged support for his programmes and emphasised that they understood the complexities he was facing in ensuring they are successful. 

"We are witnessing progress in many areas that we do not want to see derailed. We have issued bursaries (to needy students) and Ward Development Fund projects are on course, including the school feeding programme," Mugambi, the Nairobi County Assembly Minority Whip said. 

The way forward

The UDA MCAs called on the Senate and Auditor General to give the governor ample time to implement his projects. They also requested to be allowed to read the auditor's general report for the financial year 2022/2023 which accused the Nairobi City County Government of authorising unclear expenditures.  

 "Our work as the county assembly is being undermined. We have not even gone through the report," Mugambi lamented. 

“As much as the Auditor General is doing its work, this doesn't mean that the funds in question have been stolen or misappropriated," he added.

Sakaja was in the spotlight after Auditor General Nancy Gathungu revealed financial discrepancies amounting to over Sh20 billion. In a report presented to the Senate, Gathungu highlighted a concerning pattern of irregularities and potential mismanagement within the City Hall administration

Among the highlighted issues was the revelation of a flawed payroll system, where some employees were found sharing bank accounts, leading to duplicated salary and allowance payments.

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu. (Photo: Office of the Auditor General)

"Review of the payroll for the period revealed that three employees shared one bank account," the report says.

The county further incurred losses of Sh15.42 million due to such duplications, with over Sh100 million paid out for unverifiable allowances.

Its financial woes were compounded by a staggering debt of over Sh100 billion, including outstanding legal fees and stalled projects worth Sh1.36 billion.

The report also raised concerns about the feasibility of repaying debts while simultaneously addressing the needs of the public.

Critical projects, like the construction and equipping of healthcare facilities such as Pumwani Lucky Summer Dispensary and Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital Phase II, were left incomplete, with funds allegedly misappropriated.

Contractors were also reportedly awarded new contracts despite failing to deliver on previous projects.

Sakaja responds 

In response to the audit report, Sakaja stated that his administration was conducting internal investigations over the alleged award of ‘over-exaggerated’ and bloated fees for legal services.

On skipping summons, he accused the Senate of witchhunt while protecting other governors who also failed to appear before it. Sakaja added that he was out of the country and senators were privy to his schedule.