High Court Summons Nairobi Transport Chief Kerich Over KSh76.7m Legal Fees Debt

The High Court has ordered Nairobi County Transport Chief Charles Kerich to appear in open court on December 7, 2026 at 2:30 pm over an outstanding legal-fees debt of KSh76.7 million owed to Kwengu & Company Advocates.

Justice Francis Gikonyo also directed Governor Johnson Sakaja, County Finance Chief Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya and Chief Officer for Finance Asha Abdi to be served with contempt applications and to file responses within 14 days.

The debt stems from court orders issued in 2022 that required Nairobi City County Government to pay the law firm KSh106,736,841.83 in a matter involving Foton East Africa Ltd, and Kerich was found guilty of contempt in October 2025 and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment on May 19, 2026.

The sentence was suspended after the parties entered a consent payment arrangement adopted as a court order on July 16, 2026; under that arrangement Kerich paid KSh30 million, leaving an outstanding balance of KSh76,736,841.83 to be paid in two instalments – KSh36,736,841 by October 15, 2026 and KSh40 million by December 15, 2026.

The law firm says the first instalment was not paid by the October deadline, triggering a clause that allows it to pursue enforcement of the committal order, and lawyer Evans Ogado told the court the firm seeks full payment of the outstanding amount within seven days and execution of the committal order.

Kerich, represented by lawyers Duncan Okatch and Jacob Ngwele, argued that he was transferred from the Finance docket to the Mobility and Transport department in June 2026 and therefore no longer controls county finances, noting that he contributed KSh30 million from his own pocket.

In an application filed on October 28, 2026, Kerich sought to be struck out of the contempt proceedings, contending that the payment obligation now rests with the current finance chief; the law firm opposed the application, stating that Kerich was personally convicted of contempt and that the change of portfolio does not remove his liability.

The law firm also asked the court to require Governor Sakaja, Nyangoya and Abdi to show cause why they should not be cited for contempt and to consider committal to civil jail for six months unless the outstanding sum is paid.

The court scheduled the hearing of the pending applications for December 7, 2026, when Kerich is expected to appear personally.