Keep off Nairobi Metropolitan affairs, MCAs warn Sonko

Nairobi MCAs have sounded another warning to Governor Mike Sonko to stop interfering with the operations of the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS), saying they will not “sit and wait”.

The cross section of MCAs, largely drawn from the minority side, have accused Sonko of unprecedented attacks and interference in the process of implementation of the Deed of Transfer of functions between the State and the County Government.

Led by Minority Whip Peter Imwatok, the Ward representatives cited threats by the governor to withdraw from the Deed as well as challenging actions of NMS including “inciting” seconded county staff not to report to their new work stations.

The MCAs now want the governor to stop or else they will resort to “appropriate legislative action” when they resume Assembly sittings next month.

“The net effect of these choreographed actions is the grounding or slowing down of the operations of NMS...Things are now becoming thick and as members of the County Assembly we shall not sit and wait,” said Mr Imwatok.

There have been talks of reintroduction of an impeachment motion against Sonko after a similar one spearheaded by Mr Imwatok was nipped in the bud following intervention by President Uhuru Kenyatta in February.

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'TOE THE LINE'

But now, the county legislators want the City Hall boss to toe the line or it will not be business as usual, claiming that it is the high level of inefficiency, ineptitude and complete shut down in service delivery at City Hall that forced President Kenyatta to take away four critical functions from the County Government.

He said Uhuru appealed to them to drop plans to impeach Sonko and instead support the new initiative so that service delivery in Nairobi can be restored.

And true to the appeal from the Head of State, the MCAs have gone ahead to approve the Deed of Transfer of functions, consented with the transfer of City Hall staff to NMS, and approved a supplementary budget which appropriated funds to the new office.

“In a non-partisan manner, we have risen to the occasion and expressed full support to the NMS initiative since we believe it is the only avenue available to salvage the County,” said the Makongeni MCA.

The Ward reps called on Mr Kenyatta to direct the National Treasury to release funds they had already appropriated to NMS through the revoked Supplementary Appropriation Act, 2020 to help in spurring development in the Wards.

However, he alleged that there are also certain State House officers who are frustrating the new office as they are “worried that if resources they have been siphoning are transferred to NMS, they will not have the opportunity to continue plundering public resources”.

The ODM MCA alleged that there is a company by the name Noveta that is owned by unnamed cartels which is currently collecting revenue in Nairobi, yet it is not fool proof and their systems cannot be audited.

He alleged that the officers are involved in brokering legal payments, approval of finance releases, approval plans in the County in the name of Statehouse and invoke the Presidency for their selfish interests.

“We therefore urge the President to intervene and unlock the operations of NMS by reining in Sonko and a few Statehouse operatives (whom we shall soon name) including those at the Office of the Attorney General who we understand are now ‘auctioning’ legal advice,” he said.