Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has dismissed allegations that he has been ‘enjoying’ a confidential budget, clarifying that he has never spent a coin from the allocated amount.
Quoting the auditor’s documents, Governor Sonko explained that in the last financial year, his office had been allocated a budget of Sh4 million as confidential budget, but the governor did not touch the money.
“I never touched this budget, it is still there. It is still pending,” Sonko said in a Facebook Live video on his page.
Speaking while witnessing the construction of Nairobi County-funded fire station projects and a borehole, Governor Sonko vowed to appear before the Senate to defend his record.
He revealed that in the current financial years, the Nairobi MCAs handed him a supplementary budget of Sh46 million, but he never used it (demonstrating on the expenditure column).
“It is still intact (Sh50 billion budget), in Treasury. I have not touched even a coin,” Mr Sonko said, adding that he does not need the confidential budget.
“I don’t see the reason why I should be given another confidential budget when I have not touched the previous one — even a coin.”
He called for the re-budgeting of the Sh50 million to address some of the issues facing Nairobians today.
“The money should be re-budgeted. It should go to the great people of Nairobi, who have problems of water, roads, drainage and many other issues.”
The governor said the only money he needs is for running or operational expenses, and for which he has been keeping expenditure receipts for the sake of accountability.
“What I need is running expenses or operational budgets, not confidential budgets which you cannot account for.” As a public figure who has been fighting the corrupt Nairobi cartels, Sonko said he could not afford to be seen to be condoning graft.
“There is no point for a governor who is fighting corruption to look as if he has become a sympathizer of corruption,” he said. Sonko said he powerful cartels are now fighting back, against his push to end corruption at City Hall.
Earlier, the auditor general’s office had claimed that Sonko had been enjoying a Sh96 million confidential budget. The governor condemned the publishing of unverified claims, vowing to dismantle the ‘lies’ during his appearance at the Senate.
The governor has in the past fired county ministers or chief officers accused of engaging in corruption.