Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has allocated the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (MNS) Sh3.5 billion to aid its operations, just two days after President Uhuru Kenyatta sought a Sh26 billion budget for the agency.

In a supplementary budget for the financial year ending next month, Sonko allocated the money to the Mohamed Badi-led team that took over some functions of the City Hall.

Sonko’s allocation will, however, require approval from the County Assembly.

He allocated Sh2.25 billion to the authority in one vote head  and another 1.249 billion in a separate one.

The vote heads have been listed as “the amount required in the year ending June 30 for the NMS programmes.” 

The move could end the supremacy battle between Sonko and NMS, which had threatened to cripple the latter’s operations after the county denied it finances.

The Nairobi Assembly had passed the bill on April 2 but Sonko declined to assent to it, accusing MCAs of allocating funds to functions that were not transferred to the NMS. 

Besides frustrating NMS by denying it funds, Sonko has been threatening to pull out of the deal that took away key services such as health, public works and finance from City Hall.