This archive report was first published on 14 May 2020.
On May 14, 2020, Nairobi County Assembly members sounded a warning to Governor Mike Sonko to stop interfering with the operations of the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS).
Led by Minority Whip Peter Imwatok, the Ward representatives accused Sonko of unprecedented attacks and interference in the process of implementing the Deed of Transfer of functions between the State and the County Government.
The MCAs cited threats by the governor to withdraw from the Deed as well as challenging actions of NMS, including 'inciting' seconded county staff not to report to their new work stations.
"The net effect of these choreographed actions is the grounding or slowing down of the operations of NMS...Things are now becoming thick and as members of the County Assembly we shall not sit and wait," said Mr Imwatok.
The MCAs now want the governor to stop or else they will resort to 'appropriate legislative action' when they resume Assembly sittings next month.
They also called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to direct the National Treasury to release funds they had already appropriated to NMS through the revoked Supplementary Appropriation Act, 2020 to help in spurring development in the Wards.
However, the MCAs alleged that there are also certain State House officers who are frustrating the new office as they are 'worried that if resources they have been siphoning are transferred to NMS, they will not have the opportunity to continue plundering public resources'.
