Drama unfolded at Kamukunji Police Station on Wednesday evening after officers refused to keep Sh1 million donated by President Kenyatta to victims of the fire that gutted stalls at Gikomba second hand clothes market.
Mr Kenyatta had sent Nairobi Senator Mike Mbuvi Sonko with the money but after presentation to the victims at around 4pm, their leaders suggested the money be kept somewhere safe. That is how they arrived at the decision to keep it at the nearest Kamukunji Police Station.
President Kenyatta’s personal aide Jomo Gecaga had called Mr Sonko around 11 am asking him to contact the President urgently.
The Senator got in touch with the President who requested him to represent him at Gikomba and take his donation.
Sources said Mr Kenyatta asked Mr Sonko to contact Interior and National Coordination Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo who would facilitate the hand-over of the donation.
Mr Iringo met with Mr Sonko in his office shortly after 2pm where the Sh1 million was given.
Sonko left his KICC office at around 3 pm and went to Gikomba.
After receiving the money from the Senator, the chairman of Gikomba Open Air Traders Association Mr Boniface Kavoi requested that the money be kept at a police station for security reasons.
“We thought the money could not be left with us and asked the senator to help us take it to Kamukunji Police Station,” said Mr Kavoi.
He continued: “We wanted to organise ourselves so that we can arrange how to buy iron sheets. We just could not share the money there and then.”
At around 5.30 PM, Mr Kavoi accompanied by Mr Sonko’s aide James Wambua and two of the senator’s bodyguards arrived at the police station and requested OCS George Mureithi to keep the money.
However, Mr Mureithi refused to sign in the money and could not explain why he could not do so.
A stand-off ensued at the station with the aides insisting they had a right to ask police to protect the money.
Mr Mureithi could not bulge even after being made aware the money had been sent by the President. He further refused to speak to Mr Sonko on the telephone when the senator attempted to intervene.
He, however, said he could not take the money because he had not been directed to do so by his superiors.
Source-nairobinews.co.ke
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