Mr Sonko has been enjoying a Sh96 million ‘confidential budget’ annually since he came into office in 2017.
Officers from the governor’s office could not explain the expenditure inside the ‘confidential budget’ when they appeared before City Hall’s Legal and Justice Committee.
Government units like State House, Foreign Affairs and the Interior ministry have secret accounts used for unbudgeted spending needed for state interest.
Details have emerged of an irregular multi-million shilling confidential budget that was secretly allocated to Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.
The revelations arose during a County Assembly oversight committee sitting where it emerged that Mr Sonko has been enjoying a Sh96 million ‘confidential budget’ annually since he came into office in 2017.
Officers from the governor’s office could not explain the expenditure inside the ‘confidential budget’ when they appeared before City Hall’s Legal and Justice Committee.
Government units like State House, Foreign Affairs and the Interior ministry have secret accounts used for unbudgeted spending needed for state interest.
Auditor-General Edward Ouko says the secret multi-million-shilling accounts, especially the one under the Presidency, were surrounded by weak controls, including lack of documentation to support expenditure — making it difficult for the audit office to judge whether the spending was lawful and incurred for the intended purpose.
It was not clear if details of Mr Sonko’s secret account were revealed to the office of the Auditor-General.
Approval letters
Mr Dominic Odera – an administration officer in Mr Sonko’s office, failed to provide approval letters for the multi-million shilling secret budget.
But when contacted, Mr Sonko defended the confidential budget. “Having a confidential budget is normal. Running Nairobi is not a joke. There are so many things happening under my office,” said Sonko.
It was also revealed that Mr Sonko has been moving in a fleet of 12 cars against a requirement of only five cars.
Mr Odero said that the additional cars are from other sectors under the office of the governor including those allocated to the deputy governor.
City Hall has been running without a deputy governor since January 2018 when Polycarp Igathe resigned from the position.
“The governor, by law, is entitled to only five cars but some of the additional cars are drawn from other sectors. Since the governor is the overall authority, the officers cannot restrict him and we have to fuel all the 12 vehicles plus those that escort him,” said Mr Odera when pitching for a Sh180 million fuels budget.
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