Senior City Hall officials in the finance department are working secretly with enforcement officers within the parking department to divert millions of shillings from daily collections.
This was unearthed when irate Matatu operators in solidarity with Members of the County Assembly stormed the county’s finance department seeking answers as to why their vehicles had been impounded despite having paid their seasonal parking fees.
This unfolded on Wednesday afternoon when the Matatu Sacco members and the MCAs demanded for the mmediate release of the vehicles that had been impounded.
They demanded answers as to why the payments for seasonal fees had not been captured in the system yet they have evidence ascertaining the same.
It was later established that the finance department under the help of Chief Officer Asha Abdi and a finance officer by the name Wilson Gakuya are working in cohoots with parking attendants and enforcement officers to divert the payments to a separate account.
Our investigations indicate that the county staff who are looting millions of money are under instructions by Asha Abdi the Chief Officer Finance and Economic Planning and some accountants. She has acquired massive assets since she was appointed as chief finance officer.
Matatu Sacco chairman Stephen Mbolonzi led the onslaught, demanding answers from Governor Sakaja over the same.
They were shocked to learn that despite having paid, the details were not captured in the county’s automated system.
This raised eyebrows with the MCAs demanding to know where the payments were diverted to.
The Matatu operators even argued that they were ready to pay for a second time if that was what the county wanted.
“We bought these vehicles on loans and holding them is doing injustice to us.These vehicles are our only source of income,” the Matatu Sacco chairperson Stephen Mbolonzi said.
This prompted MCAs drawn from the transport committee led by the chairperson Musango Maithya(Pipeline Ward) to demand for unconditional release of the vehicles.
“This is corruption of the highest order. Release the vehicles unconditionally,” he said.
Korogocho MCA Absalom Odhiambo also known as Matach said that this will be one of the biggest scandals in the county if not tamed now.
“We have to investigate and do serious inquiry as a committee and all senior parking officials together with the finance department will have to explain how this is going on before the committee,” he said.
It emerged that the county through the finance department has created a parallel bank system that is allegedly hacked by the county parking staff under the guidance of Gakuya.
Nairobi has over 400 registered Saccos and around 30,000 Matatus operating within the City.
14-seater matatus pay a seasonal parking fee of Sh5,000 between the 6th and 24th of every month. But, if paid between the 25th and 5th, the fee will be Sh3,650.
This means that the matatu operators pay between Sh1,650 and Sh3,000 more, depending on when they make the payment.
Public Service Vehicles with 42 seats pay Sh.5,280 a month between 25th and 5th and Sh8,000 when paid between 6th and 24th. The increase is Sh1,630 and Sh4,350, respectively.
Buses with 62 seats pay Sh7,200 between 25th and 5th of every month, and Sh10,000 when paid between 6th and 24th. The increase for bus operators is Sh2,200 and Sh5,000, respectively.
