Details have now emerged on multibillion tenders that caused bad blood between Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and his deputy Polycarp Igathe.
The Nation on Monday reported its sources indicating that the two Nairobi County bosses read from different scripts when it came to allocation of three lucrative tenders.
playMike Sonko (left) with Polycarp Igathe during the campaigns (The Star)
Award of contract to Jambo Pay
The first one involved a promise in Sonko-Igathe campaign manifest which stated that the digital payment contract between City Hall and Jambo Pay would be cancelled within 100 days of their administration.
When the Deputy Governor approached his boss on implementation of the promise, Sonko insisted that the Sh23.2 million should not be taken away from Jambo Pay.
The Auditor General had in the past stated that Governor Evans Kidero’s administration failed to follow the right channels in award of Jambo Pay’s contract.
Sonko Rescue Team
playMike Sonko (centre) with members of the Sonko Rescue Team (The Star)
The second sensitive issue was the award of the garbage collection tender that was awarded to Sonko Rescue Team – associated with the Governor.
Igathe is reported to have been insistent on having the lucrative tender, said to be worth over Sh20billion, be rewarded through a competitive system.
The third thorny subject was in connection to payment of monies that the county owed to various contractors.
The Kidero administration had defaulted in payments owed to contractors which had led to poor service delivery.
playMike Sonko (lleft) with his deputy Polycarp Igathe (Facebook)
Igathe-Sonko screenshots
Screenshots previously shared by Sonko to support his cordial working relationship with Igatheshowed that the Ndeputy Governor was keen on fast-tracking payments owed to service providers.
The Nairobi City boss, however, insisted on having an audit process first.
The topic of payments owed to road constructors is captured in Sonko’s last telephone conversation with his deputy – just hours before the unceremonious resignation.
“I have authorised payment of Sh99 million. The total was Sh124 million but there was some mischief with there I have asked finance to check the balance,” Sonko is recorded telling his deputy.
