The High Court has certified as urgent an application seeking to jail Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and three other county officials over unpaid legal fees.
The High Court has certified as urgent an application seeking to jail Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, current Finance Executive Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya, Chief Officer for Finance Asha Abdi, and former Finance Executive Charles Kerich over an alleged breach of a court-approved payment plan. Kwengu & Company Advocates filed the fresh application to reinstate a three-month jail sentence previously imposed on Kerich and hold the officials accountable for a Sh76.7 million debt.
Justice Francis Gikonyo directed that the application be served and responses filed within seven days, setting the hearing for October 29. The dispute stems from a missed payment of a second instalment of Sh36.7 million due on October 15 under a court-adopted consent order from July 16. The county previously paid an initial instalment of Sh30 million out of the total Sh106.7 million legal fees dispute involving money owed to Foton East Africa Limited.
The law firm wants the court to declare that the consent order has been breached and to summon Governor Sakaja to personally explain why he should not be cited for contempt. The advocates are seeking civil jail terms of six months for the officials unless the outstanding balance of Sh76,736,841 is settled in full.
Why it mattersNairobi county officials face potential civil jail terms and Governor Sakaja faces a personal court summons over an unpaid Sh76.7 million legal fee debt.
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