Governor Sonko sets up team to audit unpaid bills

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko addresses journalists at Pride Inn Hotel in Shanzu, Mombasa, after opening the workshop discussing a water and sanitation bill, on January 15, 2018. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The committee is expected to scrutinise the pending bills totalling to Sh58 billion to ascertain whether they are genuine.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has set up a 10-member committee to audit pending bills owed to creditors.

The committee is expected to scrutinise the pending bills totalling to Sh58 billion to ascertain whether they are genuine.

“The Pending Bills Committee comprising eminent persons of good public repute will scrutinize, verify and validate details of each claim and advise the county government accordingly,” a letter dated January 31 and signed by acting county secretary Leboo ole Morintat read.

“This will enable settlement of only genuine claims,” it went on.

MEMBERS
Those nominated to the committee are anti-graft commission director-general, Public Works PS and Institute of Certified Public Accounts chief executive Edwin Makori.

Others are Public Procurements Oversight Authority director-general Maurice Juma, Supkem secretary-general Adan Wachu and Auditor-General Edward Ouko.

NCCK secretary-general Peter Karanja, Nairobi County Clerk Jacob Ngwele, one Mr Erick Mutua and Kenya School of Law director PLO Lumumba are also among them.

Last month, the county government went to court to stop all payments to its creditors amounting to about Sh58 billion (Sh57,694,204,678) accrued by the previous administration and the defunct Nairobi City Council.

TENDERS
Mr Sonko, through lawyer Elias Mutuma, said that his administration intended to settle the debts in six months, but had to first conduct an internal audit before settling the debts owing to laws governing appropriation of funds before use.

The creditors had sought to attach county property, seek arrest warrants for some county officials including chief finance officer and acting county secretary.

The governor said upon assuming office, they found huge pending bills that were supposedly for goods and services rendered to the previous administrations.