Sakaja blames NMS over Ksh.15B county pending bills after Senate grilling

Appearing before the committee, Governor Sakaja emphasized that the executive office of the national government is best positioned to provide an update on the status of the said bills. 

The governor at the same time blamed members of the National Assembly and senators for meddling in the county affairs, pointing an accusing finger at a legislator whom he says has been pushing for the payment of specific companies for services rendered

Sakaja who was responding to concerns raised by senators on the stock of pending bills amounting to Ksh.15 billion which was carried forward from the defunct NMS, distanced the current county government from any liabilities, stating that the tenders and subsequent pending bills were passed on to the national government through controller of statehouse who served as the accounting officers for NMS at the time.

“Why didn't you make an effort to come up with that answer that is my first supplementary, second is what is the status on the ground of these projects to which these pending bills were due,” asked Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale.

Migori Senator Eddy Oketch added: “Is there a clear document between the county of Nairobi in the termination that stipulates clearly the agreement of anything that is pending so that we can use that as justification to invite the office of the president to respond.”

In his response, Sakaja said, “NMS died though people tried to revive it, it is dead.  The perpetual continuity that Senator Khalwale is asking about NMS was a national government function… the national government still exists so the perceptual continuity is with the national government, the accounting officer of NMS was the statehouse controller; there is still a statehouse controller so the responsibility for those liabilities rests with that office which still exists.”

The governor was hard-pressed to explain why the county continues to contend with the perennial garbage problem.

In his defence, Sakaja blamed the mess on elected officials whose companies are beneficiaries of the garbage collection business in the county.

“You’re not getting the support from the government because there are too many vested interests in how garbage is collected in Nairobi and I think it's time we started talking about these things,” Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka noted.

His nominated counterpart Tabitha Mutinda added, “Suppliers and contractors are not being paid the county is still in the same mess apart from pending bills we still have waste within the city.”

Sakaja responded by saying, “Senator and MP push for businesses to be paid, lawyers to be paid contractors to be paid, I will not mention names because that’s not why I’m here but there always is that pressure. This week I have been telling people because they are panicking it is the close of the financial year that the Ksh.4.2 billion were spending imejaa.”

“If the governor has made an allegation about a member of your committee for being conflicted you must rule on that ..we will not allow you to get away with that chairman.”

The committee directed the governor to provide more documentation on the NMS transactions and to clarify whether those companies should be paid. The governor is set to appear before the Ali Roba committee in two weeks time.