Spotlight shifts to embattled Mayor Majiwa

With 13 officials from the Local Government ministry, Treasury and City Hall suspended over the Sh283 million cemetery scandal, pressure is now shifting to Nairobi mayor Geoffrey Majiwa to step aside.

Plans are reportedly already under way at City Hall to push Mr Majiwa out if he declines to step aside following his alleged involvement in the land scandal.

It has been learnt that pressure on Majiwa was coming from as high an office as that of Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

In a meeting at the Premier’s Treasury office on Wednesday morning, Mr Odinga is said to have told the mayor that he must take responsibility and step aside.

The PM’s communications director, Mr Dennis Onyango confirmed the meeting but declined to reveal the nature of its deliberations.

At the centre of the calls for Mr Majiwa to step aside are two audit reports which implicate the mayor in the fraudulent transaction.

Both reports indicate that Mr Majiwa signed the sale agreement on behalf of the council despite being aware of serious queries raised by officers from the Planning Department at City Hall.

Since the reports leaked at the weekend, Mr Majiwa has cut a lone figure at City Hall with several councillors previously allied to him leading calls for his resignation.