NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 3- Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on Wednesday assented to the Nairobi City County Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2020, ending a two-month standoff over funding with the newly created metropolitan authority.
The Bill was passed on Tuesday by the Nairobi County Assembly allocates Sh3.5 billion to the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) headed by Director General Mohamed Badi.
“I have today assented to the Nairobi City County Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2020,” Sonko, who had declined to approve a Sh15 billion budget, stated.
NMS’s budget includes Sh2.25 billion for recurrent expenditure and Sh1.25 billion for development expenditure for the current financial year ending on June 30.
Sonko however asked the Nairobi Metropolitan Services to adhere to the deed of transfer which he signed in February, under which he ceded some county functions to the metropolitan authority.
The Governor transferred four key functions – Health, transport, public works and planning, and development services – whose budgets and resources now fall under the control of the Badi-led agency.
The move was meant to ensure smooth running of services in Nairobi County, at a time when the Governor has been barred from accessing his office at City Hall over graft charges over graft charges.
While rejecting the initial budget in April, Sonko claimed the Supplementary Bill submitted for his assent had approved funds that were not meant for the transferred functions.
Sonko said the proposed allocations were contrary to the Deed of Transfer he signed on February 26.
The Governor has on several occasions accused unnamed officials in the Office of the President of frustrating him and undermining the cooperation with NMS under the Deed of Transfer framework.
He accused the officials of weaponizing a document inked with good intentions.
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