Alarm Over Scheduled Sh230 Million Payout To Two Select Firms Putting Sakaja’s ‘Golden Girl’ Asha Abdi On The Spot

Nairobi County Government is embroiled in a fresh controversy over a planned Sh230 million payout to two handpicked garbage collection companies, raising serious questions about financial propriety and transparency at City Hall under Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration.

The focal point of this brewing scandal is Finance Chief Officer Asha Abdi, who has emerged as a central figure in what critics describe as questionable financial dealings that have become the hallmark of the current county administration.

Abdi, often referred to as Sakaja’s “golden girl” or “sacred girl” by insiders, has written to Controller of Budget Dr. Margaret Nyakang’o requesting authorization for the controversial payment to Ace Global Limited and Lutong Machinery Resolution Company Limited.

According to official documents dated September 8, 2025, and referenced NCC/FIN/CGW/509/2025, Abdi is seeking approval for Sh79,419,161 to be paid to Ace Global Limited through exchequer request NRB/FIN/1/70/2025/2026, while Lutong Machinery Resolution Company Limited is set to receive Sh150,338,000 through exchequer request NRB/FIN/1/72/2025/2026.

The timing and circumstances surrounding these payments have raised eyebrows within City Hall, particularly given that all privately contracted garbage collectors under Sakaja’s administration have downed tools due to outstanding arrears exceeding Sh600 million.

The decision to prioritize payments to only two companies while others remain unpaid has sparked internal departmental conflicts and accusations of favoritism.

A senior county official, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concerns about the selective nature of the payments.

“It is fishy to claim that there is a resolution between an office and two handpicked companies. All contracted solid waste collectors ought to have been invited for joint deliberations to ensure continuity of service provision and phased payments in clearing the monies owed to them. The resolution cited between only two firms is suspect including the amounts recommended for payment,” the official stated.

The controversy gains additional significance when viewed against Asha Abdi’s prominent role during the recently failed impeachment attempt against Governor Sakaja.

County Assembly members had specifically demanded her dismissal as a precondition for dropping their ouster bid against the governor, highlighting the contentious nature of her position within the administration.

However, Sakaja successfully negotiated to retain her services, leading to speculation about the nature of their working relationship and her apparent indispensability to his administration.

Abdi’s career trajectory adds another layer of complexity to the current controversy.

She previously served as County Executive Committee Member for Finance and Health in Isiolo County between 2013 and 2017, before moving to Mombasa County where she held the portfolio for Finance and Tourism in 2017.

Her appointment to the influential finance position in Nairobi County has been marked by persistent allegations of financial impropriety.

In her correspondence to the Controller of Budget, Abdi justified the selective payments by claiming that “only two service providers (Ace Global Limited and Lutong Machinery Resolution Company Limited) have agreed to continue providing services despite the non-payment.”

This explanation has been met with skepticism from county officials who question why other contractors were not given similar opportunities to negotiate payment terms.

The planned payout comes at a particularly sensitive time for Nairobi County Government, which is grappling with a severe cash flow crisis that has left county workers on a go-slow since September 18, 2025.

The Kenya County Government Workers Union Nairobi branch, through Secretary Calvince Okello, has urged employees to slow down or stay home until their salaries and third-party remittances for July and August 2025 are settled.

This situation underscores the irony of prioritizing payments to private contractors while county employees struggle to receive their lawful dues.

A pattern of questionable transactions 

The current controversy is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing pattern of questionable financial transactions that have characterized the Sakaja administration.

Historical records reveal that garbage collection and legal fees have been consistently used as vehicles for embezzling public funds at City Hall.

In 2022 alone, a select group of companies received over Sh2 billion through repeated payouts, with transactions occurring in suspicious patterns that suggest systematic manipulation of the payment system.

Documentation shows that between May 4 and May 31, 2022, Sh683 million was paid to 42 companies across 51 different transactions.

On a single day, April 25, 2022, Sh296 million was disbursed to thirteen companies through sixteen separate transactions.

From January 26 to March 23, 2024, another Sh754 million was expended in favor of 48 companies across 55 transactions, while Sh294 million was paid to fourteen companies through 19 transactions between July 1 and July 16, 2021.

These patterns have not gone unnoticed by regulatory authorities.

In 2019, the Financial Reporting Centre flagged several companies for suspected involvement in a multi-billion fraudulent procurement syndicate at Nairobi County Government.

A particularly disturbing revelation from the FRC report indicated that “large cash declaration forms completed during cash withdrawals indicated the beneficiary of funds to be street boys employed to collect garbage,” suggesting a sophisticated money laundering operation.

Intricate web of corruption 

The allegations against Asha Abdi extend beyond the current garbage collection controversy.

Intelligence sources indicate that she operates as part of what insiders call “The Untouchables” of City Hall, a powerful network that allegedly includes County Executive Committee Member for Finance Charles Kerich and Ward Development Fund Acting Chief Executive Officer Eston Kimathi, who reportedly serves in his position illegally.

This alleged network is accused of creating an intricate system that diverts county funds to companies linked to their associates and family members through various projects including garbage collection, disaster management, and road construction.

One company at the center of these allegations, Emari Ventures, reportedly received Sh230 million since October 2024, including Sh19 million in March 2024 for the supposed rehabilitation of a Social Hall in Lower Savannah Ward, Embakasi East, whose completion and value remain questionable.

The systematic nature of the alleged corruption extends to the silencing of dissenting voices within the county administration.

Daniel Nguru, a senior accountant, was reportedly demoted to social services after questioning certain financial transactions, while Martha Wambugu, a long-serving finance officer, was demoted and transferred to Risk Management.

Meanwhile, Caroline Wang’ang’a has been installed as head of treasury and is allegedly under the complete control of Asha Abdi, effectively eliminating checks and balances in the financial management system.

The web of alleged corruption extends into the county assembly, with Eastleigh North MCA Ahmedgadar Mohamed Dabar specifically named as collaborating with Abdi and Kimathi to divert Ward Development Funds for personal gain.

Other officials allegedly involved include Nairobi City County Assembly Speaker Ken Ng’ondi, accountant Vincent Muhanji, Stephen Mafura, and Denis Muia, who is described as a close ally to Abdi and handles work plans.

A particularly troubling pattern has emerged regarding end-of-financial-year transactions, with sources revealing that the county government has “developed the habit of making millions and sometimes billions of fake payments” during this period, clearing county coffers under the guise of settling development budget pending bills before the start of new financial years.

The current controversy recalls events from August 2023 when both Abdi and Kerich allegedly fled to Istanbul, Turkey, when the Directorate of Criminal Investigations began probing fraudulent payments for non-existent goods and services that cost the county hundreds of millions.

At that time, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o had declined to approve a Sh1.5 billion expenditure requisition from Nairobi County Government due to lack of proper supporting documentation.

Despite mounting allegations and evidence of systematic corruption within his administration, Governor Sakaja has maintained a conspicuous silence on these financial irregularities.

Johnson Sakaja.

When confronted about financial improprieties, the administration typically points to a claimed 32 percent increase in revenue collection, reaching over Sh9 billion by March 2024.

However, this purported financial performance has not translated into improved service delivery for Nairobi residents, who continue to endure uncollected garbage, deteriorating infrastructure, and collapsed basic services.

The current situation represents a critical test for the Controller of Budget’s office and other oversight institutions.

Dr. Nyakang’o’s decision on whether to approve the Sh230 million payment will signal whether accountability mechanisms can function effectively in the face of systematic attempts to circumvent proper financial controls.

For ordinary Nairobi residents, the implications of these financial machinations are stark and immediate. Public funds meant for essential services and infrastructure development are being diverted to private pockets while the city’s infrastructure crumbles and basic services fail.

The irony is not lost that while county workers go without salaries and residents endure poor service delivery, select companies continue to receive massive payments through questionable arrangements.

The garbage collection sector, which should be a basic service provided efficiently to residents, has become a conduit for large-scale financial irregularities that undermine public trust in county governance.

The fact that waste management services have stalled across most parts of the city due to non-payment of legitimate service providers, while select companies receive preferential treatment, illustrates the distorted priorities that have come to characterize the current administration.

As investigations continue and pressure mounts from various quarters, the Asha Abdi controversy represents more than just another corruption scandal.

It embodies the systematic failure of governance structures and the capture of public institutions by private interests.

The question now is whether oversight bodies and the justice system possess the will and capacity to hold these “untouchables” accountable, or whether this elaborate web of corruption will continue to drain county resources at the expense of Nairobi’s four million residents.

The unfolding saga serves as a reminder that effective governance requires robust accountability mechanisms and the political will to enforce them, regardless of how politically connected or “untouchable” the perpetrators may appear to be.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​