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REVEALED: How City Hall wanted to impress Obama with artificial plants


City Hall had planned to place artificial plants on some sections of Mombasa Road during the visit by United States President Barack Obama but this was shelved due to a shortage of funds.

Environment chief officer Leah Oyake said that they did not get the full amount of Sh107 million that they had requested from the national government for the beautification works.

Instead, they were given Sh25 million which they have now combined with the county’s Sh23 million for for the works.

“Part of the works that we were supposed to do is to place artificial plants especially on Mombasa road in sections which are very eroded and we do not have any greenery,” she said.

NICE DESIGN

“We were supposed to buy artificial plants and do a nice design and arrange them.”

The beautification works, which start at the junction of Mombasa Road and Popo Road and  stretch to Museum Hill, have been divided into eight sections and allocated to seven contractors.

Mr Obama is expected in the country late next week and the county government has been accelerating the beautification work to beat the clock.

The Environment Committee has also raised concern at the possibility of the stones being used in the works to be turned into missiles against motorists by rowdy university students and football fans in future.

The committee will next week visit the road to ensure that the stones have been properly cemented  and can not be easily dislodged.