Nairobi County has presented documents showing plans to allocate Sh500 million towards the construction of an official residence for the Governor, Johnson Sakaja. The county will also spend Sh88 million to purchase motor vehicles for both the Governor and his deputy, Njoroge Muchiri. Acting-County Secretary Patrick Analo stated that running a county is not an easy task, hence the need for good vehicles to make their movements easy. This move comes after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) instructed counties to construct official residences for governors, deputy governors, and assembly speakers to stop them from claiming housing allowances. However, SRC had previously capped the cost of construction for the residences at Sh45 million, Sh40 million, and Sh35 million for the governor, deputy governor, and speaker, respectively, yet most counties have surpassed this limit.
It’s worth noting that it has cost taxpayers Sh1.49 billion in rent for the officials in each of the 47 counties since the start of devolution, according to SRC. The proposed amount allocated for the governor’s office was in the financial year 2022/2023, which is coming to an end, but the county did not construct the official residences and purchase motor vehicles. The documents presented by county officials form part of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP), and the county executive is currently presenting budget estimates for the next five years before the county assembly.
Interestingly, this proposal is a significant u-turn by Sakaja, who had last year rejected the construction of his residence and the luxurious cars, insisting that he did not need any of the two. He suggested that the funds should instead be used for other priority projects such as constructing markets and creating jobs for young people. “I already have a place where I live, why do I need Sh500 million for another residence? Let’s work for our people,” he said.
In summary, the proposed expenditure for the Governor’s official residence and motor vehicles has sparked a debate on the priority of projects and prudent use of public funds. While some believe that the funds should be used to provide basic services, others argue that the Governor deserves good accommodation and mobility to execute his duties effectively.
