Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said buying extra vehicles was not a priority, as he couldn’t benefit from luxuries while residents needed services.
Sakaja said he rejected the budget to purchase them.
“Before I was elected as governor, I owned vehicles and I can’t understand why they want me to buy one,” Sakaja said on Wednesday.
He said he was focusing on what was needed by the Nairobi people.
Sakaja had earlier rejected Sh500 million allocated for the construction of the governor's residence and his deputy.
Instead, he said the funds should be diverted into the construction of markets that will offer employment to youths.
In his manifesto, Sakaja pledged to construct 20 new markets across Nairobi to promote traders and decongest the main city markets, Gikomba and Wakulima, to provide an easy environment for doing business.
Gikomba, which is East Africa’s largest open-air market, has been prone to perennial fires, which have cost traders loss of property worth millions, pushing some to unemployment.
Other markets are Toi and Kangemi.
Sakaja said adding more markets will push Nairobi to be a city of order and dignity for the people who need proper services.
Early this year, the county government announced plans to spend Sh500 million on official residences for the governor and deputy governor.
This was to be the first purchase of such houses since devolution and after the directive from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
The Treasury in 2019 said it was spending Sh5 million in monthly rent for governors, Sh4.51 million for deputy governors and Sh3.75 million for speakers.
This burdened taxpayers who also foot other perks like transport and entertainment allowances for the officers
The budget for the house is contained in the latest County Annual Plan for the 2022-2023 financial year.
“The County Annual Development Plan for 2022-2023 is proposing the purchase of governors and deputy governors' residences amounting to Sh500 million,” the document reads.
The plan has, however, not outlined in detail the location, specifications and cost of each house.
The amount, however, surpasses what the Senate had capped as the cost of a governor’s residence at Sh45 million, that of the deputy governor at Sh40 million and Sh35 million for the speaker.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
