•The BBI bill was submitted to the 47 county assemblies by the IEBC
•The bill has proposed that at least five per cent of the county government’s revenue allocated by the national government and collected locally be channelled to the proposed Ward Development Fund.
The BBI bill will on Tuesday be tabled in the Nairobi county assembly as the house resumes its sitting after two months-long recess.
Majority Leader Abdi Hassan Guyo said the BBI bill will be tabled on the floor of the house as the first house business.
“Our first house business will be the BBI bill after that we shall head to public participation, come back for debate and I believe it will be passed unanimously with or without the car grants,” he said.
Siaya last week became the first county assembly to pass the BBI bill.
At least 24 assemblies of the 47 are required to pass the bill before it goes to the National Assembly
The BBI bill was submitted to the 47 county assemblies by the IEBC
The bill has proposed that at least five per cent of the county government’s revenue allocated by the national government and collected locally be channelled to the proposed Ward Development Fund.
“Since devolution, Nairobi has been having the highest revenue collection and this means it has an advantage. More funding means that back in the wards, all projects will be completed including the stalled ones,” Guyo said.
He said the criteria for disbursement to each ward, public participation and identification of the development projects by residents will ensure wards are developed regardless of the political affiliation of its MCA.
“By this, power will be given to residents back in the ward to identify projects they want to be implemented. This will ensure that development in the ward will not be at the mercy of the governors since funds will be made available to the MCAs,” Guyo said.
Apart from the BBI report, the assembly has three key documents to consider; The New Valuation Roll, Eastlands Urban Renewal Plan and Nairobi Railways City Land Use Plan which had been tabled last month.
A valuation roll contains information on all rateable properties in an urban centre.
The geographical information system-based mass valuation now before the assembly, will be used to value property based on the market value and rates.
“The updating of the valuation roll after 40 years will translate into more revenue for City Hall since rates have been among Nairobi’s top own source revenue,” Guyo said.
In the proposed 2019 valuation roll, a total of 24,780 properties have been added to the rating database since 2013, taking the tally to 156,000.
City Hall began reviewing its 1980 valuation roll in October 2016 when it contracted Geomaps Africa to do the job alongside 11 of its valuers.
The Eastlands Urban Renewal Plan and Nairobi Railways City Land Use Plan had been forwarded to the assembly by the NMS Director-General Mohammed Badi.
The plans have been prepared by NMS in collaboration with the state department of housing and urban development and funded by the World Bank.
“The plans relate to the renewal and redevelopment of the central railway station and Eastlands which are strategically located yet are wasted and experience a myriad of developmental challenges,” Guyo added.
There are also 52 unresponded statement of requests that are before respective committees.
With the deed of transfer and lack of a good relationship between the executive and NMS, the majority leader said it was difficult in getting the responses back especially on the four transferred functions.
“Everything will run seamlessly since there is goodwill from both NMS and executive. The committees which have already resumed the sittings will respond to the statements,” he said.
In addition, Guyo said Covid-19 preventative measures will still be strictly adhered to.
Since last year June plenary sittings have both been physical and virtual so as to avoid all 122 MCAs in the chamber.
“Putting on masks and sanitization has become part of our daily life. All MCAs and staff will be expected to continue with the Covid-19 preventative protocols,” Guyo said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI