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Nairobi MCAs decry delayed ward projects


Nairobi MCAs have called on the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) to expedite the implementation of ward development infrastructure projects.

This is after the ward representatives expressed concern that ward-based projects had delayed to kick-off as expected.

The MCAs had at the end of last year and the turn of this year asked to submit priority infrastructure projects to the NMS for implementation.

They complained that even after doing so, the commencement of the said projects was taking longer than expected.

“It is a great concern to the members who submitted the projects that the commencement of the implementation of the said projects is taking longer than expected despite the passage and assent of the Appropriations Act,” said Ngei Ward MCA Redson Otieno.

Further, the MCA said that once NMS took over four key Nairobi County government functions of health, transport, public works, utilities and ancillary services, and county planning and development services in March last year, resident engineers who were supervising ongoing projects in the wards were withdrawn.

This, he said, led to stalling of the said infrastructural projects with many of them remaining incomplete portending misery for residents with the onset of the rainy season.

“Infrastructure development is one of the critical functions that were transferred to the NMS and it is an important aspect of development in this county,” he said.

The MCAs sought the intervention of the assembly committee on Transport and Public Works to inquire on the reasons for the delayed initiation of the submitted projects and their current implementation status.

They also want to know whether resident engineers assigned to the ongoing projects in the wards will be reassigned to facilitate the completion of the projects.

Further, the county legislators sought to know the steps that NMS is taking to ensure that the infrastructural projects do not take an unnecessarily long time to be completed.

The Major General Mohamed Badi-led administration has already begun the advertisement inviting tenders from contractors for the said road infrastructural projects.

In October last year, the MCAs transferred the management of Sh1.3 billion Ward Development Fund from office of the governor to NMS under the directorate of Transport and Public Works.