Sonko’s Sh96m secret budget a breach, says Ouko

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko: There are many things under my office. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

By COLLINS OMULO
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Summary

• Nairobi governor has been enjoying a Sh96 million “confidential expenditures” annually since he came into office in 2017.
• Officers from the governor’s office could not explain the expenditures inside the ‘confidential budget’ when they appeared before the Assembly’s Legal and Justice Committee.

Auditor General Edward Ouko has declared a multi-million secret budget allocated to Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko illegal.

Mr Ouko says only the national government is allowed by law to incur confidential expenditure and on items that touch on security, defence or international relations.

City Hall’s Legal and Justice Committee revealed last week that the governor has been enjoying a Sh96 million “confidential expenditures” annually since he came into office in 2017.

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“The law allows only the National Government entity to incur confidential expenditure. The management was therefore in breach of the law,” said Mr Ouko in reference to Sonko’s confidential expenditure.

Officers from the Governor’s office could not explain the expenditures inside the ‘confidential budget’ when they appeared before the Assembly’s Legal and Justice Committee.

“An accounting officer shall only classify expenditure as confidential expenditure if the expenditure is likely to prejudice the security, defence or international relations of the Government of the Republic of Kenya,” says the law on confidential budgets.

Mr Ouko dismissed Sonko’s explanation of the need for City Hall to gather information and intelligence on security.

The auditor says Mr Sonko’s office incurred an expenditure of Sh14 million from the confidential accounts in the year to June last year.

Diplomatic circles

Government units like State House, Foreign Affairs and Interior Ministry have secret accounts for use in unbudgeted spending needed for State interest like influencing opinion in diplomatic circles.

Mr Ouko earlier said the confidential multimillion-shilling accounts, especially the one under the Office of President, were surrounded by weak controls, including a lack of documentation to support expenditure — making it difficult for the audit office to judge whether the spending was lawful and incurred for the intended purpose.

Mr Dominic Odera, an administration officer in Sonko’s office, failed to provide approval letters for the multi-million shilling secret budget.

When reached for comment on Friday, Mr Sonko defended the confidential budget because of the many departments under his office.

“Having a confidential budget is normal. Running Nairobi is not a joke. There are so many things happening under my office,” said Sonko.