• Drama unfolded on Wednesday when anti-corruption agency officers arrived at County Secretary's office but were blocked.
• Journalists at the scene were kicked out by security guards.
Image: EZEKIEL AMINGA
Acting Nairobi County Secretary Pauline Kahiga has rubbished claims she was arrested on Wednesday by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officers on graft allegations.
Kahiga said the officers wanted documents related to Dandora dumpsite but they were not available at the time of their arrival at City Hall.
Drama unfolded at City Hall on Wednesday afternoon when EACC officers arrived at the County Secretary's office but were blocked from accessing it.
Journalists who had arrived at the scene were kicked out by security guards.
"This is a fresh investigation concerning the Dandora dumpsite. The officers came to my office around two o'clock and all they needed were documents," she explained to the Star on Thursday.
"Because I did not have the documents available that time, the officers needed me to go down to the headquarters with them to record a statement and that is what I did," she added.
Kahiga said she had already handed over 41 files for that investigation and two more files were required.
The documents were not available because some had already been shared with other agencies which are also doing investigations.
"The files they needed were from 2015 when I was not in office nor was Sonko's administration. So I asked them to give us more time to get them the documents they required," Kahiga said.
Kahiga who is the CEC for Devolution and Public Service Management defended Governor Sonko's government, saying it is transparent.
"In our government, we have nothing to hide and we cooperate and submit the files EACC wants. If there is anything we are hiding, it will eventually be known but I assure you we are transparent in our operations," she said.
The CEC said the fracas which transpired might have been caused by the manner in which the EACC officers came to her office.
"The officers stormed my office demanding documents. Our security officers at City Hall were also alert and were in their line of duty and had to find out what exactly was happening. That explains why my offices was occupied by police and security officers," she said.
She further refuted claims that the EACC visit to City Hall is linked to queries from the Auditor General's report for the financial year 2017-2018.
"It would be premature to say that I was arrested due to queries arising from the Auditor General. It is known that some people want to see the county government of Nairobi fall but we shall prove them wrong," Kahiga said.
She has been serving as acting County Secretary since last September following the suspension of Peter Kariuki.
However, this was not the first time EACC officers have been to City Hall.
Last month, detectives from the anti-graft agency nabbed two city officials with Sh60,000 suspected bribe money which they had allegedly extorted from traders in Spring Valley.
The incident came barely a week after Sonko personally invited the EACC and the DCI to investigate corruption at City Hall.