The Director General Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Major-General Mohammed Badi has said that all grabbed public utility land in Nairobi County belonging to the government will be repossessed.
He said the parcels of land encroached by individuals will be utilized for development purposes to benefit the city residents.
He also assured the mechanics and traders operating at Grogon area in River Road that the government will allocate them a place to operate their businesses, noting that their removal from their original place was not to destabilize their businesses but to pave way for the construction of Grogon link road.
“The government also has plans of constructing stalls for traders who have been operating at the Grogon site to enable them operate in a conducive environment,’ said Badi and assured the traders that the government will make Grogon one of the best places in city where every person would want visit to enjoy themselves and repair their vehicles.
The NMS Director General who was flanked by the Ministry of Public Service and Gender Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Rachel Shebesh and the Nairobi County Commissioner Flora Mworoa was speaking yesterday during the Inspection of ‘Kazi Mtaani’ projects in Grogon in Ngara and Mukuru Kwa Njenga areas.
He however, called on the city residents to join hands with the government to promote development, as well as eliminate incidences of insecurity such robbery and other crimes that disrupt peace in the society.
On construction and repairing identified roads within the city, Badi reiterated the government’s commitment to provide Kenyans with good infrastructure, noting the NMS has contracted the National Youth Service to do some roads of which they have achieved 100 percent.
Currently the Nairobi Metropolitan is repairing and constructing roads in informal settlements, it also collects garbage, sweeps streets, conducts fumigation, clears and opens drainages in culverts.
Badi also announced that NMS has managed to keep away street children from the Central Business District through employing and utilizing them in the on-going road construction projects in the county.
CAS Shebesh said the government will help street children who are currently engaged in construction works through character development to enable them become responsible citizens, a move that will also see them stop taking drugs and engaging in criminal activities.
She said the ministry is ready to set aside a fund to assist the children after the roads construction works is over, noting that ministry of public service is working in collaboration with the offices of NMS and Nairobi County Commissioner to ensure that all government projects that have been earmarked are completed on time, as members of the public want to see change.
“We want to support and change them by giving them values and character development skills and commission them back to society,’ said Shebesh.
She at the same noted that the government is keen to see the youth occupied in the ‘Kazi Mtaani’ programme aimed at cushioning the vulnerable youth in informal settlements to have an income as most of them have lost jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CAS also said the government’s plan is to ensure that Kenyans enjoy good infrastructure and adequate water supply, warning that the government will not allow cartels to control water at the expense of ‘Wanjiku’.
She also called on Kenyans to observe the preventive guidelines given by the Ministry of Health regarding Covid-19 pandemic saying the disease is real.
During the event the CAS issued a cheque of sh. 33,450,000 from the Women Enterprise Fund to 1,183 women from 111 groups from Nairobi county and another cheque of sh. 9,755,000 from Uwezo Fund to the youth, women and People With Disabilities groups. She also assured that the ministry was addressing the issues on Gender based violence and early pregnancies that are on the increase.
In her remarks, County Commissioner Flora Mworoa said the government through ‘Kazi Mtaani’ programme has empowered at least 12,100 youths working in various informal settlement areas within Nairobi.
“Starting July this year we will start a phase II programme where we intend to enlarge the numbers by engaging more youths,” said Mworoa.
She said the project aims at engaging the youth to do an activity that will uplift hygiene standards of their estates and at the same time use the stipend they get to put food on the table.
Present at the event were the Chairman of the National Youth Council, Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Njuki Mwaniki and the Director- General of National Youth Service Matilda Sakwa among other senior government officers.
By Bernadette Khaduli
