Slap on the wrist: Sakaja suspends Kerich, Analo as questions linger

Former Nairobi Urban Planning Chief Officer Patrick Analo and Former Nairobi Finance CEC Charles Kerich. [File, Standard]

The move by Nairobi Governor Sakaja to suspend two of his close allies, Charles Kerich, who was serving as County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance and Development and Urban Planning Chief Officer Patrick Analo has left trail of questions.

For several weeks, pressure has been mounting on Sakaja to take action on Kerich, who was recently sentenced to three months in prison in vain.

Probably it was the arrest of Urban Planning Chief Officer, Patrick Analo, that is alleged to have triggered him to crack the whip on the two, who for long were said to be his close allies.

More shocking is that Analo, who once wielded power serving as Chief Officer and Acting County Secretary (2022 -2024), by the time of arrest at his home was in possession of 65 million shillings.

“The Commission is investigating allegations of conflict of interest, abuse of office, bribery, and possession of unexplained assets against Patrick Analo Akivaga. It is alleged that he receives millions of shillings in cash and M-Pesa deposits,” said EACC boss Abdi Mohamud.

Analo is suspected of having accumulated assets that are disproportionate to his known legitimate sources of income.

The Commission said following a raid at his Syokimau residence, detectives recovered Sh51,300,000 and $113,000, all totalling to Sh65,300,000 found in the house and in the boot of his car.

Other items recovered included several title deeds, motor vehicle log books, laptops, land and motor vehicle sale agreements, and approval plans, mobile phones, iPads, electronic accessories, and other documentary evidence.

According to Mohamud, upon the conclusion of investigations, findings will inform appropriate action, including prosecution and the recovery of unexplained wealth and suspected proceeds of corruption.

“This could be as a result of corruption, that processes may not have gone through the right procedure, and that is why you have the substandard materials being utilised and also houses crumbling or coming down, even as they are being constructed, the whole process is corrupt,” said the EACC boss.

The operation forms part of investigations into alleged conflict of interest, abuse of office, bribery and possession of assets suspected to be disproportionate to known sources of income.

On February 6, 2026, the CAJ, in a report, raised concerns about these malpractices it said compromised the safety of residents while fueling corruption at the same time.

The Ombudsman asked the Director of Public Prosecutions to initiate legal proceedings against Analo, Built Environment and Urban Planning CEC Stephen Mwangi, Assistant Director, Development Control Fredrick Ochanda, Development Control Officer Simon Omondi and Director for Planning, compliance and enforcement Tom Achar.

However, sources privy to the investigations claim Analo was released on Sh500,000 cash bail on Friday afternoon, pending investigations.

Meanwhile, Kerich was sentenced for failing to settle a Sh106.7 million legal fees to Kwengu & Company Advocates for services rendered on behalf of Foton East Africa Ltd, which is owed Sh142 million by Nairobi County Government.

The decree was issued on May 19, 2026 by Justice Francis Gikonyo who sentenced Kerich to three months in jail for contempt of court.

The law firm was back in court a week ago, seeking to have Sakaja committed to civil jail for allegedly aiding Kerich to fly to Dubai against the jail sentence imposed on him.

The petitioner accused the governor of facilitating Kerich’s departure from Kenya to evade the sentence.  

Kerich has unsuccessfully sought to have the jail term suspended.

Questions now linger whether his suspension will pave way for police to arrest him even as claims swirl around that he may have been facilitated to sneak out of the country to avoid arrest.

On Friday, Sakaja appointed Dominic Mutegi, the Director of Development Management to oversee Urban Planning in an acting capacity, a post that was held by Analo since 2022.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya, the current CECM for Mobility, was appointed to oversee the Finance Docket in acting capacity.

Sakaja said the county government would fully cooperate with investigators and stressed that corruption would not be tolerated under his administration.

“Corruption has no place in public service. Every public officer is individually accountable for their actions and must be prepared to answer to the law where allegations of wrongdoing arise,” Sakaja said.

He further noted that while the investigations are being conducted by independent constitutional bodies, all public officers remain personally responsible for their actions and professional conduct while in office.

Sakaja also proposed the inclusion of an EACC liaison officer to strengthen oversight and public accountability in the county.

At the same time, the governor directed that, pending the reconstitution of the committee, all development approval processes have been suspended.

He noted that urgent cases will be handled by the County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment and Urban Planning, Patrick Mbogo, in accordance with the Physical and Land Use Planning Act.

Sakaja said that the Urban Planning Technical Committee that processes development approvals will be reconstituted afresh.

Following the developments that have exposed the rot in the capital, a section of Nairobi Members of County Assembly (MCAs) now want the probe to extend to other senior officials.

Led by Korogocho Ward MCA Absalom Odhiambo, legislators said the latest developments pointed to deeper governance and accountability concerns within Nairobi County’s executive arm.

They questioned how a public officer could allegedly possess such large amounts of cash concealed in various locations within a private residence at a time when many Nairobi residents continue to struggle with the high cost of living.

“Nairobians are suffering through difficult economic times. It raises serious questions when one individual is found with such huge amounts of money allegedly hidden under beds, in ceilings, inside vehicles and other parts of a house,” said Odhiambo.

His Ngei counterpart, Redson Onyango, linked Analo’s arrest to concerns that have long been raised regarding approvals of buildings within the city.

He argued that irregular approvals and weak enforcement of planning regulations have contributed to the collapse of buildings in Nairobi over the years, resulting in injuries and loss of life.

“The problem begins within the Urban Planning Department. We welcome investigations and believe anyone found culpable should be held accountable in accordance with the law,” Onyango said. 

The MCA further called on investigative agencies to widen the scope of investigations to include other officials involved in the approval chain for development projects within the county.

The arrest has renewed scrutiny on the Urban Planning department, which plays a key role in approving construction projects.