By Andrew Kariuki
Former Nairobi County Attorney Lydia Kwamboka and ex ICT Executive Committee Member Newton Ngiru took the stand in the ongoing corruption case involving former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko, offering insight into the county’s dispute over the controversial Web Tribe (JamboPay) contract.
Kwamboka, who served as County Attorney during Sonko’s administration, told the court that there was no direct financial link between the former governor and any payments made to the company. She explained that matters of finance fell under the County Executive for Finance and Economic Planning and not the governor’s office.
“The governor is not an accounting officer,” she clarified, noting that her office handled legal advisory and representation in civil matters only, as provided under the County Attorney Act and had no mandate over criminal proceedings.
She further told the court that although JamboPay had been contracted by the defunct Nairobi City Council to manage revenue collection systems, her office did not pursue legal action because the contract fell within the administrative framework of the Finance Department, not the County Attorney’s office.
The second witness, Newton Ngiru, a businessman in real estate and former County Executive for ICT, gave a detailed account of the systems inherited by the county. He testified that upon assuming office in 2019, they found that Web Tribe had been collecting county revenue, paying itself and remitting the balance to the county, an arrangement he said violated the Public Finance Management Act.
Ngiru said Sonko became frustrated with the system, describing it as opaque and unreliable. In court, audio recordings were played where the former governor could be heard questioning the performance of the JamboPay platform and insisting on a transition to a transparent, county-controlled system.
“He wanted a data center that was functional and accessible,” Ngiru told the court. “The governor was unhappy because the systems we found gave us little visibility and control.”
The witness added that Sonko ordered the replacement of the revenue system with one supported by the National Bank of Kenya (NBK) after raising concerns about interference and lack of accountability.
The defense maintained that Sonko’s administration was under no legal obligation to retain the legacy system from previous regimes. The audio clips, which captured conversations between the former governor and ex county official, were admitted as evidence, with Ngiru confirming their authenticity.
The court directed that the matter be mentioned on 29th January 2026, with defense hearings set for 2nd to 5th February 2026.
