•In October 2019 ex- Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko pleaded with President Uhuru Kenyatta to help him fight cartels
•By sealing these loopholes, the governor alleged that cartels have resorted to using social media to tarnish her name
Image: MERCY MUMO
Cartels in Nairobi are said to be the biggest threat and obstacle to any attempts to reform, rejuvenate and rehabilitate the capital.
From one governor to another, they have been blamed for failures, stalling of projects and even low revenue collection.
Changing the script, the incumbent Governor Ann Kananu staunchly believes that she has managed to tame the amorphous group in the city.
She explained that with her leadership the procurement process has been streamlined, making it difficult for the cartels.
“ In my short tenure, the procurement process has been made transparent and competitive leaving very slim chances of cartels to thrive and interfere,” Kananu said.
On transparency, the governor said that any procurement being undertaken by the county is always publicly advertised on the Nairobi city county portal for the public unless its under framework agreement.
In a bid to tame them, the county boss stated that frequent meetings with the Controller of Budget and submission of master payment plan has cut the cartels off.
‘The COB has the county’s master payment list.Its no surprise that cartels who have been paying to get preferential treatment are the ones fighting my office because I have streamlined that process,” she said.
By sealing these loopholes, the governor alleged that cartels have resorted to using social media to tarnish her name
“ When a few people make noise and others applaud your efforts know that you are on the right track'"she said
" That is why they have been fighting me left, right and centre and trying to tarnish my name because I have been locking the loopholes.”
Pointing out that with the additional 193 boreholes in informal settlements, residents have been getting access to water which has left the ‘water cartels’ in trouble.
Kananu said that the syndicates used to sell water to people at high prices but now with the boreholes, residents have free access to water
“Through the state and the NMS, boreholes were drilled providing residents direct access of water. Clearly, there is no room for cartels in Nairobi,”she said.
“In my next budget, I will allocate funds for more boreholes to ensure that there is no room for cartels in Nairobi."
In 2016,Evans Kidero revealed that City Hall loses over Sh3 billion to cartels every month.
He stated that his then government collected Sh1.2 billion in revenue every month, but were it not for cartels, the revenue could reach the Sh4 billion mark.
His successor Mike Sonko also pleaded with President Uhuru Kenyatta to help him fight cartels.
Sonko stated that the magnitude of the cartel his administration was dealing with called for Uhuru’s intervention.
" 'Ile cartel iko hii Nairobi ni kubwa zaidi, nahitaji msaada wako kuidismantle'(The cartel in Nairobi is too big i need your assistance to dismantle it)," he said.
In 2020 the President heeded Sonko’s call and created NMS headed by career KDF soldier Lieutenant General Mohammed Badi to install discipline and order in the chaotic capital.
(Edited by Francis Wadegu)