Mike Sonko suspends 3 senior city officers, accuses them of misusing funds

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko at a past event. He has reshuffled his cabinet. [File, Standard]

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on Monday suspended three City Hall employees for alleged misuse of public funds.

The three senior officials were sent packing pending investigations.

In a statement sent to newsrooms, Governor Sonko indicated that he had forwarded the names of the officers to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

“In the meantime, I am inviting the DCI to conduct further investigations on the same. Those found guilty should face full force of the law,” read the statement in part.

Communications director at the office of the Governor, Elkana Jacob confirmed the suspension of the officers saying it followed internal investigations.

"There was an intelligence report showing they had misused county resources. Internal investigations have implicated them," he stated.

According to sources however, the reason the three officers were suspended was ‘abusing the beautification exercise that is currently on-going’.

A source that sought anonymity for fear of reprisal, disclosed that the three had been hiring ghost casuals to partake in the beautification exercise.

It is claimed that the trio had colluded to embezzle approximately Sh4.8 million, meant to go towards the project, in the last three months.

The Nairobi beautification exercise is a project aimed regenerating the image of the city through routine clean-ups as well as planting of trees and flowers.  

Additionally, Sonko has reshuffled members of his cabinet in a move aimed at improving service delivery.

Former trade CEC Allan Igambi was appointed the County finance executive taking over from Kerich who was holding brief in acting capacity.

The trade docket has been assigned to Newton Munene, who had been vetted and approved by the Assembly albeit as a finance executive in May this year.

Munene had not been officially sworn in despite having been approved earlier this year.

The finance docket has so far been held by four people since Sonko took oath of office.

Initially, Veska Kengogo was appointed as the finance CEC, having served in the previous Kidero regime. 

A reshuffle would however see her place taken by Danvas Makori who at the time headed the Agricultural docket.

Makori was however fired in April for allegedly ‘working with Governor Sonko’s enemies’ and Charles Kerich took up the position in acting capacity simultaneously manning the lands and urban planning docket.