Sonko-Badi rivalry plays out in Senate committee

The deep-rooted rivalry between Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and Nairobi Metropolitan Services boss Mohamed Badi played out in the Senate on Wednesday.

Sonko appeared before the Senate oversight committee to respond to audit queries without documents and blamed Badi for "irregularly" seconding to his entity county staff responsible for handling books of account.

The Badi-headed NMS is tasked with undertaking county functions transferred to the national government on February 25.

The governor also cited a court's ruling that he should not access his office or interact with county staff for the lack of documents.

This forced the committee to adjourn the proceedings.

Sonko is facing a Sh358 million corruption case. Anti-corruption court chief magistrate Douglas Ogoti blocked him from setting foot in his City Hall office until the case is heard and determined.

“I was charged in court and barred from accessing office or interacting with staff. This ruling has really affected my work. I have made several efforts to be allowed to access the office to get documents,” he said.

The governor was before the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee to answer to 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 audit queries raised by former Auditor General Edward Ouko.

He sought Senate’s intervention to streamline his strained relationship with Badi. He claimed the NMS is operating with "blackmail" to embarrass and belittle him.

“NMS has been seconding staff illegally, interrupting my operations and therefore I have been unable to get the documents to table before this committee,” he said.

The governor said he has been blocked from accessing presidential functions and launching projects he had initiated because some people are hell-bent on portraying him as a failure.  

Sonko maintained that Badi has been blackmailing him with impeachment threats and even blocking him from attending any NMS functions.

“I am not a failure. I have done a lot for this county and I don’t want to be portrayed as a failure.” 

He said even though he supports the President’s agenda of transforming Nairobi, he is appalled by the NMS portraying him as a failure.

Sonko asked the Senate to make NMS an entity of the county government to operate within the law.

According to him, he is the one who should be directly transferring money to NMS. This, he said, was in view of a court ruling that the NMS is an illegal entity. The court had given the national government 90 days to regularise the NMS.

Sonko has had run–ins with Badi since the soldier took charge of the four core county functions following the deed of transfer signed by the governor and Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa at State House in February.

The functions are transport, health, public works, planning and auxiliary services with a combined budget of more than Sh20 billion.

The two clashed soon after the deal was signed, with Sonko claiming he did not know the contents of the document he signed.

Badi reports directly to the President since the NMS is under the Executive Office of the President.

Committee chair Sam Ongeri (Kisii senator) directed the governor to present a formal petition to the Senate for members to delve into the transfer of the functions to the national government.

“We must make a decision. The governor has given his reasons that is affecting the work. The matter is not just facing Samburu. As far as NMS is concerned, he has right. For Senate to substantially canvass this matter you should have a motion,” Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo said.

Ledama Olekina (Narok) questioned the source of funds for NMS outside the Division of Revenue Act and the County Allocation of Revenue Act (CARA).

“Who is funding NMS? The source of the funds should be known because as it is now, the funds are outside DORA and CARA,” he said.

Majority leader Irungu Kang'ata (Murang'a) said the governor had raised important grounds that touched on sub judice and advised the chairman to adjourn the session.

- mwaniki fm