MCAs seek answers on contracts for county executives

What you need to know:

  • Ward representatives have asked the county boss to clear the air on contracts given to members of his Cabinet amid reports that some of them were in office illegally.

  • Mbatia says the county’s lawyer should provide documents with details on when executives were hired and when their contracts were to expire or be renewed.

The Nairobi county assembly has put governor Mike Sonko on the spot over the status of the contracts of his executive committee staff.

Ward representatives have asked the county boss to clear the air on contracts given to members of his Cabinet amid reports that some of them were in office illegally.

EXPIRED

The members of county assembly (MCAs) claimed that contracts of about eight county executives expired and are yet to be renewed, threatening to stop “transacting business with people who do not have valid contracts.”

This development came after Finance and Economic Planning executive Mr Allan Igambi, appearing before a Nairobi County Assembly committee on Budget and Appropriations on Wednesday last week over the county’s Finance Bill, revealed that he had been given a one-year contract, whose expiry date he wasn’t clear about.

“I was given a one year contract but I have to refer to the document to see when it lapsed,” said Mr Igambi.

Acting county attorney David Aseko also came under fire for abetting the alleged illegality, with MCAs demanding for an explanation on whether he was aware of the expired contracts.

Kariobangi South MCA Robert Mbatia, who is also the Budget and Appropriations Committee chair, said that the county’s acting top lawyer should provide documents with details on when the county executives were hired and when their contracts were to expire or be renewed.

FINAL INPUT

He warned that the Committee would produce their report without the Finance executive’s final input if a clarification over his contract was not given on time.

However, Mr Aseko said that the governor, in his capacity as the appointing authority, had the sole discretion to determine how long executive committee members would serve.

Last month, the County Public Service Board advertised vacancies for five positions, saying that all the executives had signed a one year contract

“After the expiry of the contracts, the governor can renew the terms of those serving or bring in new executives. That is his prerogative. What we have done is to advertise the positions,” said the Board chair Mr Philip Kung’u.