•A failed attempt to send four enforcement officers in October on compulsory leave might have been the origin of the fallout between Maina and Leleruk.
•Major General Badi urged all the directors across all directorates to work together in order to enable NMS to deliver its mandate.
Nairobi Metropolitan Service director-general Mohammed Badi has cracked the whip to end internal wrangles in the enforcement, compliance and delivery directorate.
He has removed the enforcement function from the directorate, leaving the compliance and delivery.
Initially, the entire directorate was headed by Rachel Maina and Dr Mark Leleruk as the deputy in charge of enforcement.
Badi announced the changes of the separation in December 15, 2020, letter.
He made Maina head of compliance and delivery services and Leleruk the deputy in charge of enforcement, the function in charge of county askaris and other enforcement officers.
“It is hereby clarified that the deputy director enforcement Dr Mark Leleruk will report directly to my office technically and administratively while Ms Rachael Maina will continue to serve as the Director Compliance and Delivery and will also report directly to my office,” reads the letter.
The letter was addressed to Deputy DG, secretaries, directors and advisors.
Leleruk joined City Hall in May while Maina was seconded to NMS from the Cabinet Affairs office in March 2020.
Badi said the changes were to enhance operational efficiency at NMS.
A failed attempt to send four enforcement officers in October on compulsory leave might have been the origin of the fallout between Maina and Leleruk.
NMS human resource director Dominic Gicheru on October 23, 2020, wrote to the officers, alerting them that the directorate was conducting an internal audit in the enforcement sector and consequently asked them to hand over their duties and immediately proceed on compulsory leave.
The officers were to hand over their duties to the director, compliance and enforcement with immediate effect.
“In order to ensure that this exercise is undertaken without disruptions to your daily routine and operations, it has been decided that you proceed on compulsory leave with effect from October 26, 2020, until further notice,” reads the letter by Gicheru.
End of last month, NMS commenced on a staff validation exercise of 1, 046 enforcement officer that was aimed at identifying imposters and ghost workers.
However, on December 16, Dr Leleruk wrote to Gicheru asking him to reinstate salaries of the four enforcement officers who had been sent on compulsory leave.
“As you are aware, four officers of the enforcement unit were sent on compulsory leave. Subsequently, their salary was stopped from November, 2020. Due to insufficient grounds for sending them on compulsory leave, the officers were retained and are currently on duty,” reads the letter.
In addition, Major General Badi urged all the directors across all directorates to work together in order to enable NMS to deliver its mandate.
“Meanwhile, I further direct that all directors should work as a team and create synergy to enable NMS to deliver its mandate,” Badi said.