The Nairobi County Social Audit Network has lauded efforts by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja in the fight against cartels of corruption in the Nairobi County Government.
Members of the forum, whose core mandate is in the scrutiny of policy decisions said that the sustained war on graft that Sakaja has waged is one of the biggest legacy that will mark his administration as faces head on the cartels that have destabilized operations at the county government across past regimes noting that the Governor has won the confidence of the residents of Nairobi with his fight against corruption and protection of public property.
In April this year, the Nairobi County Social Audit Network ranked Sakaja the best performing governor. According to the group, this top score card on Sakaja was never by mistake as now, all is there for everyone to witness his efforts to streamline city hall operations, a thing that past governors and former city councillors failed to achieve.
“You all remember the Nairobi County Social Audit Network ranked Sakaja as the best performing governor. Now we can see that he is facing cartels head on and corruption is being uprooted from City Hall. We laud his efforts and urge him not to relent on his war on graft,” a section of members said.
They called on Sakaja not to relent on this war on graft saying that corruption will always fight back but with the support of the whole population of Nairobi, the war will be won.
In the scorecard released following a survey on the performance of the County government for the period from December 2022 to April 2023, Sakaja’s administration received a score of 8/10 largely attributed to the stabilized operations of the county after the governor formulated a bi-partisan approach working formula.
In his war on the corrupt cartels, Sakaja has not spared anyone as he axed the former County Attorney Lydia Kwamboka who is said to be a key member of the cartel. The Nairobi City County Government has been faced with a serious crisis of leadership and accountability as a former County Attorney is accused of being part of a cartel that has looted billions of shillings from the public coffers.
Kwamboka, who was removed from office as County Attorney, is allegedly scheming to regain her position by spreading false claims of corruption and incompetence against the current administration.
In January, pubic watchdog group Bunge la Mwananchi, petitioned the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate and prosecute Kwamboka for corruption at City Hall.
Bunge La Mwananchi accused Kwamboka of engaging in corrupt deals and occupying the office of the County Attorney illegally. In a letter addressed to the EACC Chief Executive Officer, Bunge la Mwananchi petitioned the anti-graft body to investigate the continued stay of Kwamboka in office.
Kwamboka was impeached by the County Assembly in July 2021 and was later suspended by former Governor Mike Sonko before making a come back.
The ward representatives adopted a report by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee that recommended for termination of the contract of Kwamboka for abuse of office and operating without a valid advocate practicing certificate.
The report stemmed from an investigation by the committee which had been probing a petition by John Mark Ojiambo who sought the removal of Kwamboka “on behalf of Kenyan citizens and Nairobi taxpayers.”
Bunge la Mwananchi in the petition claimed that Kwamboka’s conduct does not meet the provisions of Article 10 and Chapter Six of the constitution, hence she is unfit to hold office.
They accused Kwamboka of making and authorizing payments despite being out of the office which he termed as stealing by servant. They called for the investigations and prosecution of individuals who are behind aiding Kwamboka’s illegal continued stay in office.
Kwamboka has been accused of being behind the 21 billion shillings inflated fake legal pending bills where her law firm Maina Njenga and Kwamboka Advocates was paid money running into hundreds of millions for no legal services rendered to the county.
Nairobi County Social Audit Network said that despite the challenges that the Governor and his County Government have faced, the County Development Plans have continued. This was achieved through giving recommendations and suggestions which according to the public submissions during the social Audit accounted for the upward trajectory. The Budget Processes and Development Plans all the way to the ward levels of governance and the fight on corruption were pointed out as among the biggest gains for the county.
Sakaja has been at war with corrupt individuals at city hall among them Members of the county assembly and powerful businessmen who are accused of corruption land grabbing and fake tenders at the county leading to loss of public funds.