This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
Published on September 30, 2019, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has sparked controversy after suspending 16 county officials following a tragic incident at Precious Talents school that killed eight pupils.
Defending his actions, Sonko claimed that suspending or sacking officials is a global governance and management practice, and that he will not hesitate to take drastic measures to instill the right work culture and attitude in Nairobi.
"Nothing can be further from the truth," Sonko said in a statement, responding to criticism from the media and the public.
He also took issue with articles published by the Star and People Daily newspapers, which he claimed were insinuating that his actions were a survival tactic against 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'," he said.
He reminded the County Assembly leadership that he was still the governor of Nairobi and that the buck stopped with him, adding that he reserved the constitutional right to hire, fire, suspend or deploy any member of his cabinet without reference to anyone.
