Nyumba Kumi my idea, not Lenku’s, says ex-Nairobi chief
A former chief who implemented the Nyumba Kumi concept long before it became a buzz word in the country has opposed moves to honour former Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku for the initiative.
Mr Alexander Hoops, a former chief in Nairobi’s Makongeni and Viwandani locations, has written to the committee vetting those proposed for national awards on Jamhuri Day this Friday raising the complaint.
Mr Hoops used the system in Makongeni to manage post-election violence in 2008, distribute famine relief, identify deserving cases for bursary allocations, among others.
TEN TEN
For this initiative, Mr Hoops was commended by the Office of the President during appraisals.
The initiative dubbed Ten Ten enabled him to access all parts of the location.
Last week, the ministry’s spokesman, Mr Mwenda Njoka, defended the nomination of the CS for the national awards because of long term strategies he initiated at the ministry.
Mr Njoka pointed out that Nyumba Kumi was Mr Lenku’s idea.
Mr Lenku is among 10 Cabinet secretaries nominated by their ministries to receive awards from President Kenyatta this Jamhuri Day.
Mr Hoops explained that he organised his team to cluster houses to address the ethnic violence.
He said the initiative won him a Provincial Administration award as the Best Chief in Nairobi in 2010.
He claimed that the model was forwarded to the Office of the President for implementation.