City councillors to hold protest

• Leaders demanding that Majiwa step aside over Sh283m cemetery scam

Nairobi councillors will hold demonstrations today to push mayor Geoffrey Majiwa to step aside over the cemetery scandal.

The councillors have said that the mayor’s office and the integrity of the council will be at stake if he continues to cling to power.

Led by councillor Mutunga Mutungi, they are expected to carry coffins symbolic of the diminishing space at the Lang’ata cemetery and demand that the mayor shows them where to bury the dead.

Mr Majiwa has been adversely mentioned in a leaked Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission report, where he is alleged to have received Sh11 million in the land deal.

Already, 13 officials from the Local Government ministry, Treasury and City Hall have suspended over the Sh283 million cemetery land scandal.

The scandal saw top City Hall and ministry officials collude with brokers to inflate the price of 120 acres of land in Mavoko by close to Sh260 million.

The land was bought to provide a new burial ground for city residents.

Since the Kacc report and another by the Controller and Auditor-General linked Mr Majiwa to the scandal, several councillors previously allied to him have led calls for his resignation.

His close ally, ODM nominated councillor Josephat Bukachi, told the Nation that he had asked the mayor to step aside until he clears his name.

“There is enough evidence that something went wrong and it is high time action was taken,” Mr Bukachi said.

However, the mayor has absolved himself of any blame.

“I have never received any money from the said sale of the piece of land. Neither have I acted unprocedurally.”

Deputy mayor George Aladwa held a conference last week in support of the mayor.