All is not well at Nairobi Metropolitan Services following the recent sacking of top ranking officials among them heads of department after an audit exposed corruption running into millions of shillings. At the beginning of NMS, 32 public officers were redeployed from the national and county governments to take charge of the Nairobi county government. Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, in a circular dated March 23 2020, directed cabinet secretaries to release the officers under their respective departments for them to take up their new roles. “The concerned ministries/ departments and county governments are required to release the above mentioned officers to report to the Director General, Nairobi Metropolitan Services immediately but not later than 3rd April, 2020,” reads the notice. On the list was then Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union secretary general Ouma Oluga who was redeployed from the county government of Vihiga to the NMS as chief officer, health.
Joseph Kinyua
NMS headed by Maj General Mohammed Badi is in charge of key county functions including health, transport, public works and urban planning services. Apart from Oluga, others were Michael Ochieng – from the state department transport and public works as secretary. Martin Eshiwani from the state department transport and public works was deployment to the NMS as director. Peter Mwaniki from the state department transport and public works was deployment as chief officer, roads. John Muya from the state department transport and public works landed the slot of chief officer, transport. Hemorike Okuta from state department transport and public works was deployed as chief officer, public works. Wilson Njuki, from the state department transport and public works was named senior economist. Charles Sikuku was named secretary, housing and urban development with Lilian Kieni as chief officer, housing estate management and slum upgrading.
Ouma Oluga
Marion Rono was named as chief officer, affordable housing programme, Richard Mareri as director, urban renewal, Samuel Muita as chief officer, public works, Stephen Githinji metropolitan services water engineer, David Bosuben as engineer. Others were Josephine Mbae also as engineer. Dismas Ogot from The National Treasury was named as senior deputy director accountant general. George Gichuru as deputy accountant general, Johnson Njuguna as assistant accountant general, Constance Mwikamba was named as assistant accountant general and Daniel Gichuki also from National Treasury as assistant accountant general. James Nyamweya was named principal accountant, Jones Ntabo as secretary, lands and physical planning with Jones Nyangweso director, lands administration.
Mohammed Badi
Juliana Mutua then based at the ministry of Lands and Physical Planning was named as director, development control. Herbert Were was named as director, valuation and rating, Michael Nageri also as director, valuation and rating. Benjamin Mwangi from ministry of Lands and Physical Planning got the plum slot of director, engineering and building. Kennedy Chege was in charge of energy regulation and development, Stephen Nzioka deputy director, energy regulation and development and Maureen Njeri from ministry of Environment and Forestry named chief officer, environment. Veronica Kimutai was named to the powerful slot of compliance and enforcement officer. One appointment that went unnoticed in the eyes of the public and city county MCAs was that of Rachel Maina from the cabinet affairs office for deployment to the NMS as compliance and enforcement officer.
Kinuthia Mbugua
Maina for, a long time, had served as a top officer at Nakuru county government during the regime of the current State House comptroller Kinuthia Mbugua. Sources say at NMS it is Maina, who using her State House connections, who is calling the shots but not Badi who is accused of falling prey to powerful Somali cartel at City Hall led by majority leader Abdi Guyo. Currently, Badi is unpopular with majority of the city MCAs over stalled ward development projects. Another scandal involves the supply of a multimillion shillings uniform to city askaris. To complicate matters is a shocking report on millions of shillings from donors and public money to fund the government to tame spread of Covid19 that went missing. Senior staff made a fortune through forgery, irregular procurement and fake invoicing.
Abdi Guyo
Also on the spot is the construction of hospitals within city wards, a contract that was done through single sourcing at inflated rate. The audit report also reveals how funds and materials meant for road maintenance in Nairobi county were diverted to private projects and individual bank accounts using cowboy contracting companies. Implicated in the multi-million scam was NMS was then powerful deputy director general Kang’ethe Thuku who was at war with Maina and ended up being fired by Uhuru Kenyatta upon getting the report. Kang’ethe’s troubles started when he started wining and dining with City Hall cartel known to supply air. The said cartel is back doing business as usual. Uhuru also allowed the sacking of head of human resources, Dominic Gicheru and director of health Mbae. Kang’ethe was at one time principal administrative secretary in the ministry of Interior and National Coordination and Police Service Regional Commandant in Nairobi. It is claimed he was close to land grabbers who targeted prime land.
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