Tuesday, December 8, 2020 – Embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has run to the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti, seeking his assistance in an ongoing battle with city MCAs and the cash-starved Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
In a letter dated 4th of December, Sonko alleged that 20 MCAs serving in the Budget and Appropriations Committee were given over Ksh 800,000 for a trip to Dubai that they never attended.
According to Sonko, the funds were an alleged bribe to convince them to force him to assent to the contested Ksh 37.5 million budget which had awarded NMS Ksh 27.1 billion and Ksh 8.4 billion to the county.
“Payments from the exchequer were made to the respective bank accounts of the intended participants to facilitate their travel, as demonstrated in the copies of attached documents herein.
“The Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, Robert Mbatia and his vice-chairman Michael Ogada alongside other members, never traveled despite being facilitated with public funds,” Sonko wrote.
The money was wired to the members on October 23.
They were to leave for Dubai on October 27 and return on November 1, a few days before Sonko took a number of MCAs (including the committee members) to Mombasa for a holiday vacation.
Chairman Mbatia confirmed that he received the money but ordered his bank to refund it.
“Money was put in my account on October 23.”
“It was Sh 823,324. But on realising the same, I instructed my bank to begin the process of sending back the money to its source and it was deducted on the same day,” Mbatia said.
“This was bribery.”
“It was done to fix us.”
“I never had a Visa or ticket but money was put into my account.”
“My question is: How was the money requisitioned for? Was it approved by the Controller of Budget?” Mbatia wrote to the Chief Finance Officer’s office.
The budget was one of the reasons that saw Sonko impeached by MCAs after failing to approve it.
E! News Blog
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