Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti has issued a statement following a dramatic incident involving comedian Sammy Kioko, who was manhandled and arrested during a protest at the County Government headquarters on Tuesday, March 31.
Kioko, who later ended up in hospital, is demanding Ksh19 million from the county government over alleged unpaid supplies.
In a statement on Wednesday, April 1, Ndeti condemned the events that led to Kioko’s arrest and hospitalization, urging calm as investigations and administrative processes continue.
"First and foremost, I express concern over the unfortunate incident that occurred in Machakos Town on 31st March, 2026. As a County Government, we do not condone violence in any form and we urge all parties to exercise restraint and allow lawful and orderly processes to prevail," she said.
Ndeti clarified the county’s position regarding Kioko’s claim, stating that official records do not recognize him as a supplier.
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"Our records indicate that Mr. Sammy Kioko is not a registered supplier of the County Government of Machakos. The entity that supplied Inspectorate uniforms is Movata Designs.
"For any individual to lawfully act on behalf of the company, proper legal authorization must be presented, including a valid Power of Attorney, formal appointment by the company, or representation through a qualified advocate," she added.
Ndeti further explained that while supplies were indeed made, the process surrounding their verification and payment remains incomplete due to procedural issues tied to the financial year.
"We acknowledge that supplies were made by Movata Designs, however, partial delivery occurred towards the close of the financial year 2023/2024 and therefore inspection and acceptance of the partial delivery could not be conducted. Movata Designs’ payment was therefore classified as a pending bill, in line with Public Finance Management procedures," she continued.
Ndeti highlighted steps her administration has taken to address pending bills, noting transparency and adherence to due process.
"As an administration committed to transparency and accountability, my government established a Pending Bills Committee to ascertain the existence, completeness, and legitimacy of projects underlying all pending bills.
"Further, upon the recommendation of the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) and the Office of the Controller of Budget (OCoB), I constituted the Machakos County Pending Bills Verification Committee to rigorously verify inherited pending bills amounting to Ksh3,812,256,795," she further said.
According to the county government, the verification exercise revealed a split between legitimate and ineligible claims, with a significant portion lacking proper documentation or verification.
Ndeti assured suppliers that legitimate payments will be honored, but stressed that the process must follow strict legal and financial guidelines.
“I wish to assure all suppliers and the public that the County Government remains fully committed to settling all verified and legitimate claims. However, this process must adhere to strict legal, audit, and financial frameworks, including the First-In, First-Out (FIFO) principle, to ensure fairness and equity," she noted.
Ndeti urged suppliers to follow official channels instead of public protests when seeking payment.
"I, therefore, appeal to all our valued suppliers to exercise patience and engage the County Government through proper channels. Public demonstrations and media campaigns, while understandable, cannot override lawful procedures nor accelerate payments beyond what is provided for within the law," she concluded.
This comes months after former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko promised to intervene in Kioko's payment dispute with the Machakos County Government.
Speaking on a phone call with Oga Obinna during his live show, where he hosted Kioko and Sonko, the latter committed to reaching out directly to Governor Wavinya Ndeti to find a resolution to the contentious matter.
During the live broadcast, Kioko detailed his predicament, explaining that he had fulfilled his obligations under a tender to supply uniforms to Machakos County but had not received payment.
Sonko offered both immediate support and a pragmatic approach to resolving the standoff.
The former governor suggested that financial constraints might be behind the county's failure to pay.
"Maybe the County is broke. We can however still talk to the governor and come up with a solution, even if it's payment by installments," Sonko promised during the call.
