Ward reps root for liaison office for assembly and NMS

MCAs have want the creation of a liaison office for the Nairobi Metropolitan Services and the county assembly to foster harmony in city operations.

The ward reps say the office will provide a platform for them to interact, ventilate and discuss issues with NMS officials.

According to the county legislators, a common office was important through which they can raise matters of concern in their roles of oversight, representation and legislation.

“I implore the Majority and Minority leaders, through the office of the speaker, to establish a liaison office between the assembly and the NMS for ease of communication,” said Robert Mbatia, chairperson of the county assembly Finance, Budget and Appropriation Committee.

His Agriculture counterpart Mary Arivisa said: “We need to have a legal framework on how the assembly can work with both NMS and county government because we have no time for back and forth."

They were last Thursday reacting to Harambee ward representative Antony Kimemia's call for guidance on how they will be engaging with the NMS moving forward.

“Our two leaders (Majority and Minority) kindly guide us on how we should engage the NMS going forward. All legislators want development and projects completed. I don’t know where people get the energy to quarrel in the assembly," Kimemia said.

The house leadership warned MCAs against igniting ‘wars’ between the assembly and the NMS.

Majority leader Abdi Hassan Guyo disclosed that a few MCAs were propagating lies to NMS director-general Mohamed Badi that the assembly will not give him adequate support in the budget.

“I received a call from the Major-General (Badi) and he was concerned that we had passed the budget without properly factoring in NMS.

"The general called because a few individuals in this house are propagating lies and rumours to NMS without having concrete information. As Majority leader, I’m urging my colleagues to stop the petty and imaginary war,” he said.

Guyo, who is the Matopeni ward rep, said the assembly leadership will not entertain issues that stall President Uhuru Kenyatta’s agenda for Nairobi.

He said days are gone for imaginary wars pitting the NMS, county government and the office of the speaker.

“Very few individuals in the house know the President’s agenda and it cannot be fulfilled when a few individuals want to create division. The budget allocation has been done diligently and I don’t see any reason for either Governor Sonko or General Badi to complain,” Guyo said.

He regretted the political games of the past year during which "we have lost a lot yet I see a few individuals want to take us back."

Minority leader Michael Ogada urged Speaker Benson Mutura to be firm and not give room for ‘petty’ wars.

“We have a few months left to the general elections and there is not much time left for MCAs to start fighting each other. Nairobi residents need services and as MCAs we have to do what were elected to do - that is to represent our wards, legislate and oversight.” 

He called for unity in the drive for the delivery if the President’s agenda.

- mwaniki fm