RESPONSE TO A STATEMENT BY A SECTION OF NAIROBI LEADERS ON THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN NAIROBI COUNTY.
My attention has been drawn to a statement issued by a section of elected leaders in Nairobi County over the state of affairs in our beloved city.
First and foremost, I want to put it clear that I have no problem or bad working relationship with any of the elected leaders in the county. I welcome positive criticism that is based on facts and as a democrat, I understand the oversight role legislators play in the execution of the devolution agenda in the country.
Let me straight away delve into some of the issues the leaders raised to the members of the fourth estate.
1; That the provision of basic needs and services has stalled in Nairobi County because of anarchy and disorder.
– Let me make it clear that no provision of basic services has stalled in any of our department at City Hall. All our offices have remained functional and dutifully operational to cater for the needs of Nairobi residents. All our health facilities have remained operational , water provision through the Nairobi Water Company has massively improved through the last two years, garbage collection has doubled in terms of tonnage and all these is available in the Controller of Budget Report 2018/19.
2; That the County has received in excess of 52.52 billion for development from the National Treasury, own source revenue and conditional grants.
– It is indeed appalling that we have leaders who are not discerning enough on what budget making process entails. It is indeed true that the above mentioned figure is what was captured in the budgets but the facts is that in the same period, the Controller of Budget only approved Sh43 billion for implementation.
– Let us not forget that available monies are always divided into development and recurrent expenditure. The county spent over 70% of its budget on recurrent expenditure and from this, around 59% goes to personal emoluments/salaries while close to 41% goes to operations and maintenance and the breakdown is available in the COB reports for 2017/18 and 2018/19
– Let me narrow down to the 2018/19 FY AS authenticated by the COB in his report that is available to the public. The County’s supplementary budget was Ksh 33.34 billion, comprising of Ksh 7.48 billion ( 22.4%) and Ksh 25billion (77.6 % allocation for development and recurrent expenditure respectively. The County received 15.79 billion as equitable share and collected Sh10.25 billion from own source revenue. The County was to receive Sh744 million as total conditional grants. It is however important to note that conditional grants are not always available the same financial year. For instance, it is only last week that the county received over Sh415 million for road maintenance in conditional grants and this is for the FY2018/19.
– To be precise, and as captured in the COB Report we had a total of Sh 26 billion available for budget implementation. In order to implement the budget, the COB approved withdrawal of Ksh 24.43 billion from the County Revenue Fund.
The withdrawals represented 73.3 % of the approved Supplementary Budget.
According to the COB, this translated to an increase of 15.6% from Sh21.13 billion in FY 2017/18 that comprised of 3.55 billion ( 14.5 percent) towards development and Sh 20 billion towards recurrent expenditure.
This means that the county has had Sh 9 billion in total channeled towards development for the last two financial years.
I want to categorically state that the County is not in any operational crisis as alleged by the MPs. The same report they are quoting is indicating that the county has made progress in budget implementation.
In the 2018/19 FY, the county improved in own source revenue collection by 1.4 % from Ksh 10.11 billion in FY 2017/18 to Sh 10.25 billion. In the same period, our wage bill declined by 7.4% from Sh14.84 billion in FY 2017/18 to Sh 13.74 FY 2018/19.
In what appears to be political witch-hunt orchestrated by Matopeni MCA Abdi Guyo who was kicked out of his majority position by MCAs tired of his corruption and intimidations, the leaders want to know all the road projects done since the FY2016/17 to the current financial year.
All road projects done are available in the controller of budget reports and I welcome them to read them instead of issuing ignorant statements. The County has so far done 123 kilometers of road. Some of the leaders who said we have done zero projects since we came in have road projects going on in their wards.
I want to further state that we have nothing to hide in the purchase of medical equipment undertaken by the County so far including the upgrade of our health facilities .All procurement processes are above board and we are ready as a county to prove the same before any audit body.
It is worth noting that our health facilities are now registering a more influx of patients who were opting for private facilities in previous years.
I believe that all the procurement issues raised by the MPs is pure hot air and when called upon to verify, we are more than ready.
Otherwise I believe that as elected leaders we all have the mandate to serve Nairobi residents and blame games will not help.
The below are some of the few development projects we have managed to complete.
Health Sector
1.Pumwani Maternity Hospital
-Installation of Cold Room
-Renovation of 6Maternity Wards
-Installation of Milk Bank Machines
-Equipped and Renovated ICU
-Equipped Wards with New Beds and Beddings and Curtains.
-Construction of a New Gate
-Renovations of the entire Pumwani Hospital
-Installation of Street Lights within the hospital
-Equipped the Generator
-Beautification of the Hospital Compound
-Introduced Security Personnel
-Additional of Health Personnel
Mbagathi Hospital
-Renovations of Maternity Wing
-Renovation of Mbagathi Hospital
-Installation of Generator
-Construction of Laboratory
-Expansion of Kitchen in Mbagathi Hospital
Mama Lucy Hospital
-Construction of Mama Lucy Maternity Wing
-Construction of TB Center in Mama Lucy
-Equipped the Hospital with Cancer Machines
-Installation of Oxygen Plant in Mama Lucy
Kangemi Health Center
-Construction of Modern TB Center in East and Central Africa.
-Bought Ambulance
Trade and Industrialization
-Construction of Mwariro Market Starehe Sub County
-Construction of New Karandini Market -Dagoretti Sub County
Construction of New Wakulima under KURA
Construction of Westlands Market
Construction of Gigomba Fish Market
Construction of Kwareri Market
Construction of Uhuru Market along Jogoo road
Construction of Leather Factory Starehe Sub County
Disaster Management
Bought new Disaster Fire Engines and Ambulances
Construction of Kangudo Fire Station
Construction of Waitaka Fire Station Dagoretti South
Reclaim Gigiri Fire Station Land
Education and Sports
Rehabilitation of Nairobi County ECDE Centers
Construction and Equipped of Vocational Training in Dandora, Kangemi
Construction of Dandora Stadium
Release of Executive and Wards Busary
Introduction of Free Milk and Food in all ECDE
Free ECDE in Nairobi County .
Environment, Sanitation and Water
Beautification of Roads Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway, University way, part of langata road, parliament way, Jogoo road.
Reclaimed and beautify Kangemi Cemetery.
Cleaning up of Nairobi River
Employment Opportunities to Environment Casuals
Road, Transport and Infrastructure
Rehabilitation of Ole Sangale Road in Madaraka Nairobi West Ward.
Rehabilitation of Thiogo Road in Mountain view ward.
Rehabilitation of Muthiora Road in Kabiro Ward
Rehabilitation of Ndwaru road in Waithaka
Construction of Captain Mungai Street in Eastleigh North
Rehabilitation of Lumumba Drive in Roysambu ward
Rehabilitation of Muyuyu Road in Kahawa West
Rehabilitation of Martin Catholic Church Road in Huruma
Rehabilitation of Gathuru Road in Kawangware
Rehabilitation of Baba Dogo to Riverside
Rehabilitation of Catholic Road and drainage in Mwiki Ward
Construction of Riara Lane and Githera lane in Kilimani Ward.
Construction of link road through Memom Estate South C ward
Rehabilitation of Stadium Road and Bin Angare slum in Makongeni Ward
Construction of Access road off Kayole Spine Road to Department of Defence Spring Valley Mihango Ward
Construction of Access Road to Maji Mazuri Clay City Kasarani Sub County
Rehabilitation of Bishop Ireri Road Kasarani
Construction of New Donholm Road in upper Savannah ward
Rehabilitation of Dandora phase 2 Roads
Construction of Estate Roads in Spring Valley Matopeni ward.
Reconstruction of Jadongo Road in Ngara Ward
Rehabilitation of Access roads in Uhuru Estate,Access to Jamaa Hospital in Kariobangi south
Rehabilitation of Muyuyu Street and Sebataiyet Street Airbase
Rehabilitation of Nyambene Road in Eastleigh North
Transport Sector
Construction of Bus Terminals
Murang’a Road,Desani Service Road
Park Road
Railways Bus Terminals
Ngara Road Terminals
Rehabilitation of Ojijo Road and Construction of Public Transport Facilities
Installation of traffic lights at Selected Pedestrian Crossings
ICT Installation of Data Center at City Hall
The Data center has modern technology that has enabled the County to digitize it’s operations including collection of revenue, e.i. Parking fees, rent, land rates etc.
The technology has also enabled the county to register all the staff to the biometric system that will smoothen service delivery and get rid of the ghost workers menace from the county.
H.E MIKE MBUVI SONKO, EGH
GOVERNOR