Kerich sneaks back to City Hall as questions linger over his role

Embattled Nairobi County Executive Member Charles Kerich. [File, Standard] 

Embattled Nairobi County Executive Member Charles Kerich returned to City Hall on Tuesday, marking the end of his prolonged absence.

Kerich has been away for slightly over a month after being convicted of contempt of court and ordered to serve three months.

Sources within City Hall said he attended the cabinet meeting held on Tuesday at City Hall without a clear role.

Last week, Kerich appeared in court, closing a deal which saw him walk out free after depositing Sh30 million and promised the court that he will respect its orders going forward.

However, while he was away, Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya, CECM for mobility, was appointed to oversee the Finance Docket in an acting capacity.

His details were later gazetted, giving him full mandate to oversee the finance docket, leaving Kerich without a clear portfolio.

Some sources in the know at City Hall claim that Kerich could take over as the CECM in charge of Mobility and Works, a docket that was previously held by Ibrahim Auma.

He was in June convicted of contempt of court and sentenced to three months in prison on May 19, 2026, for failing to settle a Sh106.7 million legal fee 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 jail for contempt of court.

After the directive, the embattled CEC was never seen at City Hall, even as contradicting reports on his whereabouts kept swirling around including claims that he was in the UK and Dubai.

However, through his lawyer, he told the court that he was seeking medical treatment in the US, and that the orders to arrest him would affect his date with the doctor and his health situation.

His absence was linked to delayed budget estimation for the Financial Year 2026/27, which has affected most of the operations in the county.

It was expected by the end of June, the MCAs would have approved the budget but on Tuesday the Ward Reps said there were unanswered questions in regards to the document adding that the county boss has been ignoring them.

Even so, experts argued there is a simple way for the county to operate with the last budget under the vote count, but some leaders argue that development projects in the Wards and the larger county could stall until their differences are ironed out.

The MCAS said the executive also delayed gazetting the acting Finance CECM until June 30, 2026 citing that the MCAs are not to blame.

"There is a crisis because of the delay in gazetting the acting CECM, and the law is clear on what is supposed to done , now that he has been gazetted the new CECM should come to us and explain everything about the budget," said the Majority Whip.