Nairobi County Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko is facing a maiden litmus test in stemming out intricate web of corruption at City Hall after the anti-graft body zeroed in probing contested payment amounting to Sh71.8 million to a City based law firm.
Today, Nairobi County Executive Committee member in charge of Finance and Economic Planning Gregory Mwakanongo and Chief Finance Officer Luke Gatimu were grilled by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Eacc) detectives for five hours in connection with the matter.
The duo were at pains to explain how the controversial legal fee was made in a record of six months to Koceyo and Co. Advocates.
Through an internal memo, County Attorney Gad Awuonda questioned the prudence of the payment to Koceyo and Co. Advocates terming the cost as unnecessary liabilities.
The anti graft agency flagged the payments in June this year.
On June 30, 2017, six different payments were made to the same law firm amounting to Sh26, 328, 269 vide cheque numbers 014831, 014832, 016161, 016162, 016163 and 016164 respectively.
“A payment of Sh71.8million to a single advocate in a period of six months cannot be justified in terms of priority and equity. Also of greater concern is that, on occasion , the same law firm would be paid six times in one day.” Awuonda said in a correspondence dated July 20, 2017.
Investigators are also narrowing down to acting nairobi County Secretary Robert Ayisi to establish how he auhtorised the payments since January to July this year.
Gatimu and Mwakanongo are required to provide all payment vouchers with supportive evidence of the services offered.
This comes two day after Sonko assumed office promising to fight corruption cartels at City Hall.
Investigators are also probing allegations of coordinated illegal withdraws of hard cash by some county staff members through cheques written in their favour from county bank accounts and irregular issuance of falsified per diems.
However, the Banking Fraud Investigations (BFIU) and Financial Reporting Center are yet to flag the transactions and possible trail to to county staff members.
In attempts to curb looting, Nairobi immediate former governor Evans Kidero instituted major changes in the Finance and Economic sector by directing all payments be discharged through internet banking at Central Bank of Kenya.
He further discontinued operations in Rooms 500 (cheque preparation room) and room 10 (Cheque dispatch room).
The Internet Banking platform was provided to facilitate funds transfer both through RTGS and TFRS remittances to third parties at commercial banks and transfer of funds to accounts held at Central bank of Kenya.
All registered suppliers are required to update their banking details and records to facilitate the new system of payment.