Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has promised to intervene in comedian Sammy Kioko’s payment dispute with the Machakos County Government over an alleged unpaid Ksh19 million tender deal.
Speaking on a phone call with Oga Obinna during his live show, where he hosted Kioko and Sonko, the Latter committed to reaching out directly to Governor Wavinya Ndeti to find a resolution to the contentious matter.
During the live broadcast, Kioko detailed his predicament, explaining that he had fulfilled his obligations under a tender to supply uniforms to Machakos County but had not received payment.
The comedian claimed that instead of settling the debt, county officials have attempted to discredit him by suggesting he is part of a political scheme orchestrated by the national government to damage Governor Ndeti’s reputation.
“I have evidence of supply, documents, and all that stuff,” Kioko told Obinna.
The situation became more urgent when Kioko revealed he had been forced to close his clothing business due to the financial strain caused by the delayed payment.
More pressing was his sister’s deteriorating health condition, which required him to seek emergency funds. In a desperate attempt to raise money, Kioko put his car up for sale, appealing to serious buyers to make offers so he could finance his sister’s medical treatment in India.
Sonko offered both immediate support and a pragmatic approach to resolving the standoff. The former governor suggested that financial constraints might be behind the county’s failure to pay.
“Maybe the County is broke. We can however still talk to the governor and come up with a solution, even if it’s payment by installments,” Sonko promised during the call.
Sonko also invited Kioko to visit his office the following day to discuss the matter in detail and strategize on the best course of action.
This came after Obinna’s effort to directly contact the Wiper party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, a close political ally of Governor Wavinya Ndeti, in an attempt to seek assistance on Kioko’s behalf bow no fruit.
Obinna’s efforts were immediately disapproved by the opposition leader’s team, who reportedly cautioned him against reaching out to the politician regarding the disputed tender.
“Hi Obinna, the communication team is kindly asking you to stop calling SKM either online or offline. They say you are crossing the line,” read a message allegedly delivered to Obinna by Kalonzo’s team.
The alleged response by Kalonzo’s team struck down Kioko’s last gasp of hope in resolving the stalemate, which has dragged on for several weeks.
The controversy has drawn an official response from Machakos County. Joseph Mathuki, the county’s head of procurement, acknowledged that the company referenced by Kioko had indeed been awarded a tender for the supply of uniforms.
However, Mathuki raised questions about Kioko’s standing in the matter, noting that the comedian’s name does not appear on the list of registered shareholders for the company in question.
He criticized Kioko for publicly addressing the issue, suggesting he may not have the authority to speak on behalf of the contracted entity.
