BUSINESS ECONOMY

End of the NMS Era as Sakaja Takes Over City Hall

MARTIN SIELEAug 17, 20221 Mins read1.2k

Newly-elected Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja (R) with NMS Director-General Lt. Mohammed Badi at a past event. [Photo/ Twitter]

Newly-elected Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja (R) with NMS Director-General Lt. General Mohammed Badi at an event on March 26, 2020. [Photo/ Twitter]

Curtains are set to fall on the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) as newly-elected Governor Johnson Sakaja takes over at City Hall.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) on Wednesday, August 17 confirmed that functions of the NMS would revert to the county once its contract expires, unless the county government decided otherwise. The deed of transfer, which handed the national government several functions of the county in 2020, is set to expire in October 2022.

When he was named Governor-elect on August 14, Sakaja declared that all functions being undertaken by NMS would revert to the county government ‘from the day he is sworn in’.

“If the incoming county administration doesn’t want to continue NMS’s contract, then the PSC is willing to revert all services to the County Government of Nairobi,” PSC Chairperson Anthony Muchiri told journalists.

The four core functions of the county which the NMS took over are health services, transport services, physical planning and development and public works, utilities and ancillary services. 6,852 county government staff members were seconded to the NMS as part of the transfer of functions.

In his acceptance speech, Sakaja thanked NMS Director-General Badi for the work the agency had undertaken in the city. Sakaja also acknowledged outgoing Governor Ann Kananu.

“I thank them (NMS) for the work they have done for the city. I acknowledge it has not been easy,” he stated.

“But I want to affirm that from the day we are sworn in, all the functions of county governments under the fourth schedule, all the functions shall revert to the county government,” Sakaja asserted.

Sakaja ran on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket. He has promised to make the city friendlier to businesses – especially small and medium-size enterprises. Among other things, he has promised to introduce an electronic unified single business permit and instant online license renewal.