• President asks Sonko, who joined meeting later, to apologise to MCAs for mistreatment and wrongdoing. Governor humbles himself, says sorry.
• President also says the governor is on his own concerning the corruption charges against him and shouldn't expect help.
Image: PSCU
President Uhuru Kenyatta has told beleaguered Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko not to expect help with his Sh357 million corruption case and told him to apologise to MCAs he has abused.
The state has taken over key county functions — health, planning, transport and public works.
While hosting Members of the Nairobi County Assembly on Saturday at State House, the President told Sonko to face charges against him, just as he [Kenyatta] had faced crimes against humanity charges at the ICC. The case collapsed and there was no trial.
Sonko was present after the main, three-hour discussion with MCAs.
The President asked him to apologise to MCAs for mistreating them. He did so.
The President had also strongly urged MCAs not to impeach Sonko, saying the state takeover of key functions was the best approach to running the city. He urged them to consider the greater good and not take actions that would destabilise the capital city and the region. If Sonko were removed, a by-election would be destabilising, he said.
But Minority Whip Peter Imwatok said discussions of the impeachment motion and a vote would be taken this week, starting Tuesday or Wednesday.
Acting against the express wishes of the President will be difficult for many MCAs, especially Jubilee members. Sonko has frantically been trying to scuttle the impeachment bid.
Sonko humbles himself
"The governor was asked to apologise to everyone for the pain he had caused. It was like a father correcting his stray son," Nominated MCA Kabiro Mbugua said.
Threats and intimidation have been common when an MCA openly criticises the governor.
Last year when the Public Accounts Committee had started investigating the 2017-18 financial year, the chairman almost lost his position due to the probe.
Last week, it had it reached the office of the speaker that members who had signed the notice of impeachment were being threatened.
President Kenyatta asked MCAs to report any intimidation and threats to the Speaker Beatrice Elachi who will then report [to him].
"Yes, we were told as MCAs to work independently without receiving threats or intimidation and since the President has spoken, we will not hesitate to report if it happens in the future," Karura MCA Joseph Wambugu said.
Speaker Elachi has said, "2020 will be a year of no corruption or intimidation in the assembly. This year no one is going to joke around and all business in the house will be in accordance with the law."
Speaking to the Star on Saturday, Roysambu MCA Peter Warutere told the Star that the President had told Sonko "there was no way out for his corrupt cases and he should deal with his own cases and let the county prosper."
Nominated MCA Kabiro Mbugua who said the President told the governor he will not receive help with his corruption case.
"The message was loud and clear. The President did not offer any help to Sonko but gave him fatherly advice to carry his own cross," he said.
Investigations
Last week, Sonko's cabinet made another trip to Integrity Centre, EACC headquarters, to record statements over the Sh1 billion stadia tender irregularities.
This is the third time the cabinet and other county officials have been summoned to EACC for the ongoing probe into allegations of procurement irregularities for the construction of four stadia awarded to Scanjet Construction Limited during the 2017-2018 financial year.
EACC is also looking into the list of all the pending bills and payments made between December 1, 2019, and January 13, 2020.
It is looking into outstanding bills due to suppliers or contractors, those cleared, verified and confirmed by the office of the Auditor General. The EACC is examining all payments made between December 1, 2019, and January 13 this year, including, the names of companies, services rendered and goods supplied for what period and what amount.
The anti-graft commission is also looking into the procedure used to nominate Disaster Management Chief Officer Anne Mwenda as deputy governor.
Legal problems
Sonko was arrested on December 6 last year in Voi for the alleged misappropriation of Sh357 million county funds through irregular garbage collection tenders.
Appearing before the anti-corruption court magistrate Douglas Ogoti, the flamboyant Nairobi governor pleaded not guilty to more than 30 charges related to financial administration at City Hall.
He was released on bail but barred from accessing his office. On January 16, 2020, Sonko suffered a blow when he unsuccessfully sought orders to stop his trial. Justice Mumbi Ngugi ruled it would proceed.
On February 18 Sonko was charged afresh in the Sh357 million corruption case against him and others after the prosecutor a new charge sheet.
In the new charge sheet, the prosecutor removed the names of two accused persons and one company — Danson Muchemi, Zablon Onyango and one company, Webtribe Limited — leaving Sonko and three others.
In one count, the governor has been charged alongside Antony Ombok, alias Jamal, Fredrick Odhiambo and ROG Security limited with conspiring to commit an offence of corruption and dealing with suspect property worth more than Sh14 million in respect of a contract.
Sonko has also been charged with receiving Sh8.4 million from Fredrick Odhiambo, T/A Yiro Enterprises, through ROG Security Limited.
Last week on Wednesday, Sonko suffered another blow after the anti-corruption court at Milimani dismissed his second bid to block the Sh357 million graft case against him.
Sonko had asked the court to quash the case, arguing that the evidence by the EACC was illegally obtained.
His lawyers had argued that the manner in which evidence was obtained from his bank accounts was illegal and violated the Constitution as their client was not told of the investigation into his accounts.
The EACC stated the governor was informed of the investigation into his accounts on September 3, 2019. It said Sonko wanted to obtain orders against his prosecution "through the back door".
(Edited by V. Graham)