By Andrew Kariuki
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has suspended the county’s Chief Officer for Urban Planning, Patrick Analo Akivaga, following his arrest by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over allegations of corruption and unexplained wealth.
In a statement issued on Friday, Sakaja said the county government would fully cooperate with investigators as inquiries continue into allegations surrounding the official.
The governor emphasized that the investigations are being conducted by independent constitutional bodies and reaffirmed the county’s commitment to accountability and the rule of law.
“Corruption has no place in public service,” Sakaja said, adding that public officers must individually account for their actions whenever allegations of wrongdoing arise.
The suspension takes immediate effect and will remain in place pending the outcome of investigations. During this period, Akivaga will not be allowed to access his office, official documents, or county systems.
To ensure continuity in operations, the governor appointed Director of Development Management Dominic Mutegi to act in the position on an interim basis.
The move follows an EACC operation targeting the planning official as part of ongoing investigations into alleged corruption, abuse of office, conflict of interest, bribery, and possession of assets suspected to be disproportionate to known sources of income.
Beyond the suspension, Sakaja announced a series of sweeping reforms within Nairobi’s urban planning department.
Among the measures is the immediate reconstitution of the Urban Planning Technical Committee, the body responsible for processing development approvals within the city.
The county government has already written to several professional and regulatory bodies, including the Civil Aviation Authority, the Kenya Institute of Planners, the Architectural Association of Kenya, the Engineers Board of Kenya, resident associations, and Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, seeking nominations to the new committee.
Sakaja also disclosed that the county has proposed the appointment of an EACC liaison officer to work with the committee and members of the public on matters relating to planning and development control.
In a further directive, the governor ordered the temporary suspension of all development approval processes until the committee is fully reconstituted.
Urgent applications requiring approval will, however, be handled directly by the County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment and Urban Planning, Patrick Mbogo, in line with the Physical and Land Use Planning Act.
The governor also announced changes within the county executive, naming Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya as the acting County Executive Committee Member for Finance and Economic Planning with immediate effect.
Sakaja maintained that his administration would not shield any individual found to have engaged in corrupt practices, regardless of their rank or position in government.
He further urged Nairobi residents to allow investigative and judicial processes to proceed without interference, assuring the public that county services would continue uninterrupted despite the ongoing investigations.
