Kenya Insights

Tag: Nairobi Metropolitan Services

  • Badi’s NMS rocked with power wars and massive looting

    Badi’s NMS rocked with power wars and massive looting

    It is not business as usual at the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) after four top officials were kicked out for swindling millions of shillings. NMS was formed by President Uhuru Kenyatta in early 2020 to take charge of some key function of the Nairobi County including health, transport, public works and urban planning services under by Maj General Mohammed Badi.

    Some 32 public officers were redeployed to the NMS from the national and county governments by the Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, in a circular dated March 23 2020. The circular directed cabinet secretaries to release the officers under their respective departments for them to take up new roles at NMS.

    The directive also saw the then Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union secretary general Ouma Oluga being moved  from the county government of Vihiga to the NMS as chief officer, health.

    Veronica Kimutai landed the plum position of compliance and enforcement officer and another suspect appointment to the same office that went unnoticed by blind Nairobi MCAs was that of Rachel Maina who was deployed from the cabinet affairs office.

    The double appointment would later lead to a conflict between Kimutai and Maina which forced DG Badi to split the enforcement and compliance directorate into two, enforcement on one side, and compliance and delivery services on the other.

    The powerful Maina had worked as a top officer at Nakuru county government during the reign of Kinuthia Mbugua who is the current State House comptroller.  She used her powerful State House connections to land the plum job but snubbed Badi who is held hostage by powerful Somali cartels led by majority leader Abdi Guyo.

    State House Controller Kinuthia Mbugua [p/courtesy]
    NMS top officials are also fighting over a multi-million tender to supply uniform to city askaris. The shameless wars come after an audit report revealed shocking details of how millions of donor and public funds meant to stem the spread of Covid-19 were looted by senior officials through irregular procurement, forgery and fake invoicing.

    The NMS tender bandits are also fighting over awarding of contracts to construct hospitals within Nairobi which was single sourced and rates inflated. The report also uncovered how funds and materials meant for road maintenance in the city were diverted to individual bank accounts using rogue companies.

    The scam was orchestrated by the former deputy director general Kang’ethe Thuku who was fired by President Kenyatta for staging tender wars with Maina.

    Kang’ethe also had a stint at the Interior ministry in Nairobi where he served as a principal administrative secretary and built close links with city land grabbers. He also dines with the faceless City Hall cartels who have resurfaced at the Badi led entity to win tenders, get paid and supply air.

     

     

     

  • Inside NMS’ ambitious plan to digitize chaotic Matatu Industry

    Inside NMS’ ambitious plan to digitize chaotic Matatu Industry

    Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) is planning to introduce a digital queuing system and install smart cameras in termini in Nairobi to end the madness that has become the face of transport industry.

    The  Major General Mohammed Badi led agency is also planning to establish police posts  within the termini to ensure enforcement of the regulations  and to boost security too. Nairobi termini are common with pickpockets and thugs who pose as touts but terrorize commuters but ameras will help the security team to digitally monitoring whatever goes on within and around the termini.

    “The police officers in the bus termini police posts’ will be charged with enforcement to restore law and order across the city,” said Badi.

    To bring sanity to the matatu industry, NMS believes that digital queuing system will control the flow of public service vehicles (PSVs) in and out of the termini.

    The NMS director further added that the smart cameras will be linked to operation centres at police headquarters and NMS to monitor every action in the bus termini and officers will also be designated at the centres to keep an eye.

    NMS Director Major General Mohammed Badi [p/courtesy]
    “The officers at the operational centre will be able to see the buses coming and will arrange how they come and drop passengers by automatically putting it in the queuing system. That helps in ensuring PSVs are disciplined in terms of picking and dropping passengers leading to law and order in the termini,” said Badi.

    Badi will require Saccos to nominate representative to sit in the operations room to monitor misbehaving members. He also directed Transport and Public Works Engineer Michael Ochieng’ to ensure that no touting will be allowed in the modern termini.

    The plan that aims to reduce crime rate through a round clock surveillance will also restore order as drivers will queue according to their saccos and follow directions from screens mounted at the termini.

    NMS is currently constructing six bus termini including  Muthurwa, Park Road, Fig Tree, Green Park, Desai and another one at the junction of Bunyala and Workshop Road and a firm has already been contracted to roll out the plan.