Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has clarified that his administration has paid Ksh 287 million in legal fees, refuting claims that the county had settled Ksh 10 billion. In a statement dated April 11, Sakaja explained that the Ksh 10 billion pending payment to various law firms was incurred during the term of his predecessors, and his administration was obligated to settle these debts once their authenticity was determined.
Sakaja also revealed that the Nairobi County Government had been awarded costs in 12 cases, with the Office of the Attorney General overseeing payments totaling Ksh 100 million. He highlighted that since taking office, the county had shifted from relying solely on external advocates for legal matters, with internal counsel now handling 72 out of 827 active court cases.
“To address the problem of pending bills in unpaid legal fees, I directed the County Attorney to appoint a legal fees assessment committee composed of five advocates. The committee has reviewed 44 fee notes, reducing the initially demanded amount from Ksh 5,112,019,527 to Ksh 2,399,655,042, saving the County Government Ksh 2,712,364,485,” Governor Sakaja reported.
He emphasized that this ongoing process aimed to ensure value for city residents’ money. Sakaja also announced plans to hire lawyers internally to handle legal matters, working with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to ensure fair compensation and attract top legal talent.
“In the 19th County Executive meeting, approval was granted for restructuring the County Attorney’s office to expand staffing levels. Fifty lawyers will be employed to boost internal capacity, handling all legal matters internally and saving costs incurred from external counsel engagement,” Sakaja added.
