Confusion surrounds City Hall plan to borrow Sh150m

An aerial view of Nairobi City Hall. FILE PHOTO | NMG

By COLLINS OMULO
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Summary

• Confusion has rocked City Hall over a plan to borrow Sh150 million this financial year.
• While the Nairobi County Assembly on Tuesday approved a motion authorising the borrowing for the year ending June 30, the executive says it did not request such funds.
• The motion, moved by Deputy Majority Leader Peter Wanyoike on Tuesday, asked the assembly to authorise the request by the Finance CEC Allan Igambi to borrow Sh150 million for meeting expenditures during the financial year ending June 30, 2021.

Confusion has rocked City Hall over a plan to borrow Sh150 million this financial year.

While the Nairobi County Assembly on Tuesday approved a motion authorising the borrowing for the year ending June 30, the executive says it did not request such funds.

The motion, moved by Deputy Majority Leader Peter Wanyoike on Tuesday, asked the assembly to authorise the request by the Finance CEC Allan Igambi to borrow Sh150 million for meeting expenditures during the financial year ending June 30, 2021.

“That, pursuant to the provisions of Section 142 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 this Assembly authorises the request by the County Executive Committee Member for Finance and Economic Planning to borrow Sh150,000,000 for the purpose of meeting expenditure necessary to carry on the services of the Nairobi City County Government during the financial year ending on the 30th June, 2021,” read the motion.

ACCOUNTING OFFICER

However, Nairobi County Chief Finance Officer Halkano Waqo said he is not aware of such plans and he has not been part of any meeting or deliberations to come up with such a proposal.

“Borrow from where or who? I have no idea and I am hearing about it from the first time. I have never been to any discussion or deliberation so it is not from me or anybody from my side,” said Mr Waqo.

On whether, the plan could have been done with the knowledge of the CEC alone, he said he is the accounting officer for finance and as such, his input is needed.

Attempts to reach Mr Igambi for comment proved futile as he did not respond to our calls or reply to text messages.