As Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja intensifies the purge against county officials linked to corruption by investigations, one question continues to dominate political conversations within City Hall corridors: Why has Chief Officer for Finance Asha Abdi remained untouched?

The suspension of Urban Planning Chief Officer Patrick Analo following investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has been widely viewed as a bold step in the fight against graft. Yet while officers in other departments face scrutiny, the finance department – the nerve centre of Nairobi City County’s operations – appears insulated against ongoing clean-up.

For many observers, the situation has elevated Asha Abdi into what critics describe as the “sacred cow” of City Hall. The Finance Department has for years found itself at the centre of questions surrounding procurement, payments, pending bills, revenue collection, budget implementation, and expenditure management. Successive administrations have faced accusations from contractors, MCAs, civil society groups, and oversight agencies over how public resources are managed.

Despite these recurring concerns, the department’s accounting leadership has remained firmly intact.

Asha Abdi occupies perhaps the most powerful bureaucratic position in Nairobi County government. As chief officer for finance, she oversees the department responsible for authorising and coordinating critical financial processes. Virtually every major county transaction, from supplier payments and budget execution to revenue administration and financial reporting, passes through structures under her watch.

Political analysts argue that unlike other chief officers, the finance chief officer sits at the centre of the county’s financial ecosystem. Any disruption within the department could potentially affect salaries, procurement processes, development projects, timely supplier payments and overall county operations.

This may partly explain why Governor Sakaja finds himself in some sort of quandary.

While officers in technical departments can be suspended and replaced with limited disruption, changes in the finance docket carry far-reaching implications for the administration’s day-to-day functioning. Touching the department can pose significant administrative, operational and political inconveniences.

Questions surrounding the department, however, have not disappeared. In recent years, critics of the Sakaja administration have repeatedly raised concerns regarding financial management and procurement practices.

Abdi has publicly defended the county’s financial records and insisted that all processes are above-board and accountable. She has maintained that critics should rely on facts rather than political rhetoric when evaluating the county’s performance.

The dilemma facing Sakaja is therefore both political and administrative. Suspending officials in departments such as urban planning sends a strong anti-corruption message to the public. However, touching the finance department would amount to entering the engine room of county government itself.

Critics argue that if accountability is to be applied consistently, scrutiny should not stop at departments currently under investigation. Supporters of the administration on the other hand contend that no action should be taken against any officer without credible evidence and due process.

As City Hall’s anti-corruption purge gathers momentum, attention is shifting from those who have already fallen to those who continue to occupy the most influential offices. In that conversation, one name dominates the debate: Asha Abdi.

Whether she is ultimately vindicated or subjected to further scrutiny may determine whether Sakaja’s clean-up exercise is viewed as a comprehensive war on corruption or merely a selective political operation. Most likely, window-dressing!

• A  Tell Media report / By Joseph Omollo