Sonko’s job as Nairobi Governor is looking more difficult than the former Senator had probably anticipated as his house continues to crumble.
Barely two weeks after his deputy Polycarp Igathe handed in his resignation, the County boss has sacked three of his close aides just three months after appointing them. They include his personal assistant Bernard Kiio Mulwa, delivery unit deputy director Joseph Ireri Kamunde and Michael Mutua.
Sonko on January 23 published a notice on the daily papers notifying the public that the three are no longer working with his office.
According to the notice that bears the names, ID numbers, and photographs of the aides, the three were fired for allegedly soliciting bribes from County government contractors and suppliers under the pretense that they can influence the speedy processing of their payments.
“The county advises the public that the persons… are neither employees of the governor’s office nor of the county government, hence are not mandated to transact any business on behalf of the county,” reads the notice in part.
“Nairobi city county government has reliable information that some individuals purporting to be county staff are soliciting for bribes from county government contractors and suppliers under the pretense that they can influence the speedy processing of their payments.
“They are also soliciting for bribes from unemployed youths promising them employment as security constables and firefighters, ” adds the notice.
The Governor further made a call to any service provider or individual who has been swindled of money to report to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, (DCI), The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) or to the County Customer Care No. 0725624489.
The sacked aides were part of a ‘dream team’ that Sonko unveiled in October last year to steer his agenda.
A source at the Governor’s office told the Star that the sacked aides took advantage of their closeness to Sonko to defraud residents.
“They have never been employees of either the country or the governor’s office. One of them [Mulwa] was arrested last evening by Flying Squad officers while receiving bribes from members of the public.”
The trio now brings to four the number of people who were poached by the governor to be part of his dream team and thereafter quickly axed.
Former Kiambu director of public communication Mukami Kamau, who served in the same capacity at City Hall, was shown the door in December last year under unclear circumstances.
