Wavinya Ndeti: Sammy Kioko is not a Machakos county supplier

In the statement posted on Wednesday, Ndeti said the company that supplied inspectorate uniforms to the county is Movata Designs, adding that anyone purporting to act on behalf of the firm must present proper legal authorisation, including a valid power of attorney, a formal appointment by the company, or representation through an advocate.

While acknowledging that Movata Designs made the supplies, the governor said there was partial delivery towards the close of the 2023/2024 financial year and that inspection and acceptance of the consignment could not be conducted at the time.

She said the payment was, therefore, classified as a pending bill, in line with public finance management procedures.

Ndeti said the county established committees to verify pending bills, including a Pending Bills Committee and a Pending Bills Verification Committee, following recommendations from the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) and the Office of the Controller of Budget (OCoB).

According to the governor, the verification committee reviewed inherited pending bills totalling Ksh3,812,256,795 and found that Ksh2,126,781,000 were eligible for payment, while Ksh1,685,475,795 were ineligible claims.

She said the ineligible claims comprised Ksh927,582,267 in unverified legal fees and Ksh757,893,528 relating to claims with incomplete documentation.

Ndeti said her administration has so far settled Ksh642,345,765 of the eligible historical pending bills, leaving a balance of Ksh1,484,435,235, which she said will be addressed through the first supplementary budget for the 2025/2026 financial year and subsequent budgets, subject to available resources.

The comedian was admitted to hospital on March 31 after he was referred from Kang’undo Level 4 Hospital, where he had been taken after initial treatment at Athi River Level 4 Hospital, according to information shared by his associates.

His hospitalisation followed an incident that reportedly occurred outside the Machakos County Government offices, where he had joined other contractors in demonstrations over unpaid dues. Reports indicate enforcement officers dispersed the protesters, leading to an alleged assault that left Kioko injured.

Kioko, an entertainer who also runs Movata Fashion, has claimed that his company supplied uniforms to the Machakos County Government during the 2023/2024 financial year under a contract worth Ksh20 million, but only received Ksh20,000 — a claim he said was backed by Mpesa transaction messages he shared online.

The protest had been planned a day earlier, with Kioko posting a video on March 30 urging suppliers and contractors to gather peacefully at the county headquarters to demand accountability and payment.

“Nothing will stop us from coming tomorrow… and at exactly 10 am, peacefully, we will be seated within the county government of Machakos offices,” he said in the video.

“We deserve to be listened to; let us have this conversation. Let us see justice served, and everyone will be happy,” he added.