City lawyer Donald Kipkorir and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja engaged in a fiery exchange on X on Friday April 19, 2024.
The whole drama started when Kipkorir claimed that the Nairobi County government is demanding kickback in order to pay him Ksh1.3 billion legal fees that was award to him by court.
The lawyer claimed that the Nairobi County Assembly Budget Committee informed him that they could approve his payment if he agreed to give them 50 per cent of the award money.
“Now that fear has gone, I can tell you something … Last month, Nairobi County Assembly Budget Committee together with Governor Sakaja Johnson were in Naivasha preparing the County’s Supplementary Budget.
“They called me that they want to approve all my payments if I give them 50% of the sums I am owed. I told them, my fees are in accordance with The Advocates (Remuneration) Order & decreed by Court & I won’t pay a bribe.
“Nairobi City under the Governor pay Bills, Invoices & Court Decrees to those that pay a bribe of 50%. In holding that you can’t attach County Governments, the Court of Appeal is enabling the openly practiced corruption in County Governments,” part of Kipkorir’s statement read.
The lawyer lamented that the Sakaja-led administration would go down as the most corrupt in Kenya’s history and further called on President William Ruto to dissolve Nairobi County government.
“Nairobi City under Sakaja Johnson will go down as the MOST CORRUPT LEADERSHIP in Kenya’s History with a County Assembly that is completely beholden to him. It is time President William Ruto dissolves both the County Assembly & expels Sakaja from UDA. And @EACCKenya should arrest Nairobi County leadership of both the Executive & the County Assembly,” Kipkorir wrote.
In a quick rejoinder, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja fired back at Donald Kipkorir, asking him to clarify who called him.
“Who called you? Be specific. I have never spoken to you on your fees neither have I ever sent anyone to you. If anything, I have resisted your overtures,” Sakaja wrote.
The Nairobi governor further wondered why a single lawyer should be Ksh1.3 billion legal fees for a matter that is between the National government and the Nairobi County government.
“It’s unfathomable that one lawyer wants to be paid more than 1b for a matter between govts. We will continue to challenge it. You are the corrupt one and bitter because you will not be paid that amount,” Sakaja added.
Donald Kipkorir answered Sakaja in a follow-up post, claiming that evidence from call logs would prove he was called by officials from the Nairobi County government.
“Call-logs will show your people called me from Naivasha .. I never called them … I have a date with Twalib Mbarak @EACCKenya CEO on Monday.
“And had you gone to University, you would have understood that legal fees in Kenya are regulated by law & computation is done by Deputy Registrars called Taxing Masters.
“Even if you bribe Judicial Officers, you will waste your money as computation of legal fees is arithmetic & not guess work! The law will pay me whether you like it or not. I will not pay you 50% or 1% bribe,” Kipkorir wrote.
