Nairobi governor Mike Sonko is now engaged in a new supremacy battle with the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) director-general Major General Mohammed Badi over the official residence for Nairobi County governor.
The residence, which is located in Lavington, has been in possession of the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) which released it early this week.
On Tuesday, Sonko announced that the county had taken over the residence and it was being renovated for him to move in.
In a turn of events, Major General Badi warned the governor to stay away from the property, saying the house is in the hands of NMS and has been sealed off by police officers.
Read: I Never Read Nairobi Deed Of Transfer Documents, I Will Terminate It – Mike Sonko
“Lands is a transferred function to NMS and so that area belongs to NMS. He may play his tricks but as we are talking that house has been sealed off and nobody is going to claim that house,” said Badi.
However, Sonko told off the NMS boss, arguing the function or exercise of the power shall remain with the government to which it is assigned according to Article 187 (2) (b) of the Constitution.
“We are not in competition, kindly let us focus on service delivery to the Great people of Nairobi and if you want to fight go to Somalia and fight with Alshaabab and if you want to become the Governor wait for 2022 to vie,” said Sonko.
The two have been engaged in supremacy battles since the NMS wing was formed in March 2020, with Sonko recently asking that Badi works under him.
The governor, who appeared before the Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee on Wednesday last week, cited a strained relationship with NMS Director General Maj. General Mohammed Badi.
Sonko claimed that the NMS boss has been blackmailing him with impeachment threats and even barring him from attending NMS functions.
Sonko told the Senators that even though he supports the President’s agenda of transforming Nairobi County, he is appalled that NMS wants to portray him as a failure.
To better serve city residents, Sonko said there is need for the Senate to make NMS an entity under Nairobi County so as operate within the law.
As currently formulated, the governor said, he can’t directly transfer money to the agency.
Last month, the High Court declared the deed of transfer of functions of Nairobi County to National Government unlawful and irregular.
Read Also: Nairobi Metropolitan Boss Badi Stops Construction On Alleged Grabbed Public Land
Justice Hellen Wasilwa ruled that the deal that was signed at State House in presence of Sonko, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa was not approved by the County Assembly thus unlawful.
This is after Sonko moved to court to protest transfer of over 6,000 workers to NMS. The judge ruled that the transfer was illegal as the governor had not been consulted.
The court gave the state 90 days to rectify the said illegality failure to which either of the parties can move to court to seek appropriate actions.
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