Dandora Stadium queries haunt Sonko

Embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko is fighting accusations of paying more than the required amount for the construction of Dandora Stadium.

On Friday, a group of MCAs filed a notice of impeachment against the embattled governor claiming he had, among other offences, inflated the expenditure of the 5,000-seater sports facility located in Embakasi North Sub-County.

Sonko is also accused of irregularly procuring the tender for the construction work of the stadium to a firm associated with an influential politician.

And the Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) has questioned the tendering process while criticising the county government for paying Sh196 million to the contractor despite warnings from technical evaluators regarding the quality of the works.

Last September, the project manager, Steve Ragos, told Nation Sport refurbishment of the facility would cost Sh300 million.

Sonko would later state, but without substantiating, that some ''cartels'' had added Sh100 million to that cost.

"Tuweke mchezo kando tupeleke Nairobi yetu mbele (Let's avoid games and build Nairobi). For instance, Dandora stadium almost stalled because of sabotage by some engineers who wanted to raise the cost by Sh100 million," said Sonko.

Construction works at the stadium have since stalled, affecting several Kenyan Premier League and National Super League clubs including AFC Leopards, Kariobangi Sharks and local club Dandora United which had planned to use the venue for their league assignments.

The fate of renovation works at Nairobi City Stadium, plus other sports venues that Sonko had promised to build, also remains unclear.

They are Kihumbini (Westlands), Woodley (Kibra), Ziwani (Starehe), Mukuru (Embakasi), Riruta (Dagoretti), Jacaranda (Embakasi East) and Muhuri Muchiri (Kasarani).