Since his appointment as ‘super’ CEC in July, it has been a question of when Charles Kerich would be kicked out of City Hall.
‘Mr Fix It’ as he is popularly known at City Hall, fell out with Governor Mike Sonko immediately after he was elevated to coordinate projects in the capital.
The veteran journalist was among the 16 top officials the governor suspended on Wednesday following the disaster at Precious Talent School in Dagoretti on Monday. Eight pupils died after a classroom block collapsed.
Kerich was seen as the executive closest to Sonko and served in four dockets – Lands, Finance, Health and ICT – in two years.
He was a hands-on officer who the governor turned to ‘fix things’ whenever a crisis occurred at City Hall.
Insiders say that Kerich’s fate was sealed at a night meeting between the governor and two executives in July. The Star established that there was disquiet in Sonko’s cabinet over the appointment of Kerich as super CEC.
The executives, who were opposed to Kerich ‘meddling in their dockets’ by overseeing projects initiated by their sectors, made unfounded allegations involving him.
“They were not happy at all. Kerich had to go and that was known to many people at City Hall,” a source said.
Days later, Sonko hinted at a fallout with his ‘most trusted executives’ and threatened to sack six CECs and three chief officers for being disloyal and cutting deals behind his back.
He ranted in a Facebook post that some CECs had been recruited by cartels and were now making decisions without his knowledge.
“Imagine a CEC you trust most being absorbed by the so-called cartels to the extent of making sensitive decisions without consulting me as a boss,” the governor wrote on his Facebook page.
He claimed the Lands and Planning department was allowing Chinese developers to construct extra-floors on buildings against the law.
Sonko had in May appointed Kerich to the Finance docket from Lands and Planning sector which he had led for more than a year.
The governor then indirectly attacked Kerich during a meeting in Mombasa accusing him of disrespect and working with Sonko’s political enemies.
Yesterday, Kerich did not respond to calls for a comment about the allegations.
The Wednesday suspensions climaxed the chaotic and erratic rule that has defined Sonko’s administration.
He has sacked more than 500 officers, including top executives over claims of insubordination, corruption and disloyalty. He has reshuffled his cabinet more than eight times since he was elected in August 2017.
Early in January, Sonko suffered a huge blow when Janet Ouko bravely called it quits from his leadership.
In an interview with the Star at the time, Ouko said she had nothing against the governor but could not continue living under intimidation and fear.
Sonko subsequently linked Ouko with missing bursary funds at City Hall.
The governor also alleged she had colluded with cartels to operate an illegal account where Sh10 million in county funds were channelled.
In August 2018 he suspended Hitan Majevdia then CEC for Health and a former director Thomas Ogaro over what he claimed was laxity.
They were on the spot over lack of drugs and other medical supplies in hospitals. This was despite it being public that the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency had cut medical supply to all county hospitals over a debt of Sh234 million.
The same month, Sonko suspended John Ojwang from the urban planning department.
