Officials in the legal department at Nairobi Hall have been thrown into panic mode following a stern warning issued by Governor Johnson Sakaja regarding the Ksh.21 billion pending bill in legal fees. A source at City Hall told The Weekly Vision that officers in the legal department have been colluding with external lawyers to fleece the county, the external lawyers have issued demand fee notes ranging from Ksh.400 million to Ksh.2 billion claiming they litigated on behalf of the county, some on small matters.
The Governor embarked on an internal audit to establish the reason behind the high fee notes, warning that those found culpable of colluding to inflate it will face dire consequences. Already, governor Sakaja has appointed and gazetted a committee to review and verify the pending Ksh. 21 billion in legal bills claims against the county.
The committee is chaired by lawyer Kamotho Waiganjo, the review will also cover other pending bills. The Governor has noted that he inherited a Ksh. 99.06 billion in pending bills from the previous administration.
“A County cannot be having a pending bill of Ksh. 21 billion just in legal fees. I have told the County Attorney that I am going to hold to account anybody at City Hall who colludes in creating such fee notes,” Governor Sakaja stated. The Governor however pledged to settle pending bills issued by genuine suppliers and contractors, with priority given to those who have already completed work.
The Governor wondered why the county continues to engage external lawyers who charge exorbitant fees, yet the county has a well-staffed legal department capable of handling the matters.
