This archive report was first published on 27 September 2019.
Published on September 27, 2019, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has told his critics that suspending or sacking officials is a global governance and management practice.
Following the tragic collapse of a school building in Nairobi that killed eight pupils, Sonko suspended 16 county officials, sparking criticism from the public and the media.
However, Sonko has taken to the press to defend his actions, shelling out Sh858,400 for a full-page advertisement in the Daily Nation.
“Nothing can be further from the truth,” Sonko said in response to an article published by the Star, which stated that the county was thrown into a crisis following his move to suspend the staff.
He also took issue with an article published by the People Daily, which insinuated that his drastic action against county officials was a survival tactic against the ongoing investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on him.
“I will not have any qualms at all firing, suspending or reshuffling employees a thousand times until I instill the right work culture and attitude in Nairobi to enable me realize my dream of restoring the long, lost glory of the “Green City under the Sun’,” Sonko said.
He reminded the County Assembly leadership that he was still the governor of Nairobi and the buck stops with him.
“I reserve the constitutional right to hire, fire, suspend or deploy any member of my cabinet without reference to anyone,” Sonko said.
