Sifuna, Sakaja exchange words in Senate grilling session [Video]

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja was exhausting pressed to solutions questions on the the renovation of 13 estates throughout the town throughout a grilling session with the Senate Committee on Housing.

In the course of the session there was pressure as Sakaja exchanged phrases with Senators like Edwin Sifuna, Karungo wa Thangwa and Enoch Wambua.

Governor Sakaja honoured the summons after severally failing to look earlier than the committee to reply to points in relations to city regeneration and renewal programme of previous estates.

Whereas responding to the committee, Governor Sakaja stated that on the three events that he failed to look earlier than the committee, he was in another country on official duties and he offered the committee with travelling paperwork to show his assertion.

“We imposed a wonderful of Sh500,000 while you did not honour the 2 invitations and a summon, opposite to part 19 of Powers and Privileges Act, I’m comfortable to report the receipt of a banker’s cheque to that impact,” stated Senator Karungo wa Thangwa.

Kitui Senator, Enoch Wambua stated that failure to look earlier than the committee by the Nairobi governor contempt of the Senate.

He additional added that the senators who turned governors have been probably the most infamous, he questioned what had occurred to former legislators who turned to be the county chiefs.

“It’s not truthful to inform this honourable committee that you simply had travelled in another country on official responsibility however you can’t prioritized the work of the Senate the place you sat as a senator some years in the past. We have to improve the wonderful within the Powers and Privilege Act which present process amendments,” Senator Sifuna implored the Governor.

Governor Sakaja informed the committee that when he was the Senator for Nairobi, he was rated as one of the best performing senator by Mzalendo Belief, due to this fact he is aware of the place of the senate in devolution and respects the Parliamentary committees whereby he served because the chairman for 10 straight years.

On the difficulty of Nairobi city regeneration and renewal programme of previous estates, the governor stated that the County Authorities of Nairobi was not in possession or aware of any settlement between the Israel Authorities and the Authorities of Kenya for building of the estates via a Tenant Buy Scheme.

This has been an allegation by the tenants of Jericho Property who purport that the homes have been to belong to them after 25 years of tenancy. They haven’t availed the stated settlement.

“Nairobi Metropolis County Authorities has earmarked all estates for redevelopment to offer further housing for rental function and residential possession. That is in step with the Authorities’s inexpensive housing agenda,” stated the governor.

As well as, Sakaja stated that the unique plans for the estates have been for the event of the social housing to cater for the low revenue earners.

Governor Sakaja additionally revealed that the County Authorities of Nairobi has awarded seven contracts for regeneration and renewal of previous estates, nonetheless the titles deeds of the estates estimated to be 4,000 acres are nonetheless beneath processing.

He added that the Metropolis County will not be giving free homes however the lease paid since occupation of the housing items might be used to get the tenants homes.

“All issues ought to be allotted with earlier than the regeneration initiatives are launched,” ssupport Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

The governor was given two weeks to furnish the committee with assertion of lease collected by the County Authorities of Nairobi since 1985 for Ofafa Jericho, 1988 for Jericho Lumumba and 1990 for Ofafa Maringo Estates.

In the course of the session, there have been a number of situations the place Sakaja exchanged phrases with the senators.

In a single occasion, Sakaja obtained right into a heated argument with Edwin Sifuna over home procedures, with the governor asserting that as a former senator he was conversant with the standing orders.

Sifuna, being a lawyer additionally stood his floor, telling off the governor that he shouldn’t educate them the legal guidelines.

In one other occasion, Sakaja was pressed to reply whether or not the county had despatched paperwork relating to the city regeneration programme in Jericho. Regardless of the county boss insisting that the paperwork have been despatched, the clerk confirmed he didn’t obtain them.

Sakaja alleged that he was to not blame for technical mishaps within the Senate. Nevertheless he was tasked to resend the unique e-mail, which might present the e-mail thread.

The governor’s choice to share the doc’s via WhatsApp didn’t sit effectively with the committee, with the chair citing that the paperwork ought to be despatched procedurally and processed in accordance with the foundations of the home.

He additionally added that the query was not the accessibility of the paperwork, however whether or not the county despatched them in July 2023, because it had claimed.

So as to add to the difficulty, Sifuna requested the committee to compel Sakaja to supply the paperwork in bodily copies