Some disgruntled officials at the City Hall have petitioned the government to embark on complete overhaul at the county government planning and development docket branded as the bedrock of corruption.
Planning and development is one of the functions taken over by the government following an agreement signed at State House.
The call comes as Uhuru Kenyatta held talks with city MCAs at State House to discuss how to streamline city services to residents and governor Mike Sonko impeachment.
Other dockets affected in what State House describes as a move to ensure Nairobi residents receive services efficiently, were the county health services, transport services and public works, utilities and ancillary services.
But at the corridors of City Hall, pressure is mounting on the new management to urgently stamp its authority and control the runaway corruption presided over by planning chief officer Justus Kathenge, who fashions himself as embattled Governor Mike Sonko operative in cutting mega deals.
Important to note ahead of surprising handing over some of the key county operations to the national government, Sonko had elevated Kathenge’s job status by naming him the new county secretary, a position that was previously held by Leboo Morintant on the same capacity.
Kathenge
However there are sustained murmurings among the staff at the City Hall who feel that the move was not the best choice for the position given his questionable background, tainted with corruption and pure antagonism. Eyebrows have been raised by the nature of impunity surrounding Kathenge’s promotion as the new county secretary despite deep seated corruption under his watch at the urban planning docket.
He is one of the suspects linked to a case in which a building collapsed in Huruma estate in 2016 killing over 50 people and his file is still pending at the court after he was released on a Sh1 million alongside the other suspects. Most recently he featured prominently among the officers suspended following the tragic accident at Precious Talent School in Dagoretti that saw the death of eight pupils when a classroom collapsed.
He only sneaked back to his urban planning office prior to being named as the new county secretary. Inside sources detailed to Weekly Citizen the dramatic return of the superstitious Kathenge to his urban office when he flatly refused to enter his office believing some witchcraft had been performed against him and instead decided to operate from the department of compliance and enforcement office.
We are reliably informed of a trail of chaotic operations at the city urban planning unit courtesy of Kathenge who has opted to displaced professional engineers with quacks who can hardly read and interpret architectural plans. This informs frequent collapse of buildings in the city as Kathenge has ensured that the department is infiltrated by mostly planners who cannot not professional handle architectural work but can easily be manipulated by the officer who has a rare mentality to the effect that the docket is a money minting avenue.
A highly placed source detailed how Kathenge has ensured that professionals under his office have been tactfully misplaced by making them either rust in the offices or assigned to lesser duties as he wreak havoc using quacks who have mastered the trend of wiring kickbacks to their boss. Many are now waiting with bated breath to see how the national government will handle the thorny Kathenge issue now that the besieged governor has been rendered almost toothless yet he was the same man the officer had repeatedly fronted as his godfather within the City Hall.
Last week, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission summoned Nairobi county CECs over loss of county funds. A totaI of 32 officials who current, former CECs and county officials were ordered to present themselves for the recording of statements.
Those summoned included Allan Igambi (trade), Lucia Mulwa (education and sports) and Veska Kangogo (devolution and public service).
Larry Wambua (environment), Hitan Majevda (health) and Newton Njiru (ICT). Others include Halkano Waqo, Christine Ireri, and Hitan Majevda, according to the letter signed by the acting deputy chief executive officer at EACC.
The CEC secretariat Joyce Kinyanjui, administration office’s Samwel Kinyanjui, chief of staff Peter Mugo and demoted deputy county secretary Leboo Ole Morintat were on the list.
Winfred Kathangu and Pauline Kahiga who were sacked as CECs and former acting county Attorney Christine Ireri were also summoned.
