Sakaja to retain former KDF mechanics contracted by NMS

Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson will extend the contracts of 20 former Kenya Defence Forces mechanics that had been seconded to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services.

The former soldiers, whose engagement with the NMS expired end of last month, had been attached to the county ’s central garage in Industrial Area and had been supporting 12 county mechanics in maintaining vehicles.

“We shall extend your contracts by another two years because we do not want a disruption in the services you have been offering. We are commissioning a staff audit but in the meantime, let’s not lose anyone useful,” Sakaja said.

On Tuesday, Sakaja, in the company of his deputy Njoroge Muchiri visited the garage that houses vehicle examiners, mechanics and administration staff.

All county vehicles and other mechanical equipment are repaired in the garage, and the experts often carry out repairs on site where the vehicles get damaged.

The head of the county garage Major Joshua Mbuvi said the roads at the Dandora dumpsite need urgent repairs as they were responsible for most of the damage to vehicles.

“Majority of the vehicles we repair are garbage collection trucks and they all get problems with suspension, brakes, clutch and so on. If we sort the mess at the dumpsite some 60 per cent of the fleet problems will be solved,” he said. 

Mbuvi said the county also needs to dispose off tens of the vehicles in its yards which are unserviceable.

In the first 100 days in office, the NMS director general Mohammed Badi repaired 83 stalled county vehicles that had been grounded for about eight years at the government garage in Industrial Area.

Some Sh22 million was spent on the first phase of the project in partnership with a team from the KDF.

The first phase of the project, which began in July 2020, saw the NMS overhaul the county fleet in just two months.

The rehabilitated vehicles include 21 tippers for environment and construction works, 24 fire engines, six ambulances, three hydraulic platforms for street lighting programme, two scrub street sweepers and two graders.

Others were a backhoe loader, wheel loader, pneumatic roller, two water bowsers, a farm tractor and 19 light vehicles.

The vehicles were part of close to 70 per cent of City Hall vehicles, plants and equipment wasting away at the government garage with minor mechanical breakdowns such as malfunctioning brakes, gears, indicators and clutches.

Most of the vehicles, plants and equipment used in garbage collection and transportation had been grounded for years at the garage where, out of 56 trucks, only 15 were operational.

Also grounded were vehicles used in construction and civil works as well as ambulances. Going further, Governor Sakaja highlighted that he will  also revive the county petrol station in an effort to save the county money.

 The petrol station based at the county central garage at the Industrial Area ceased operations in the early 90s.

The governor also said the county is conducting an audit of essential staff who were seconded from other government agencies with a view to ensuring that all essential services continue seamlessly.

Already Sakaja has said that nurses recruited by the NMS will be retained, while all Community Health Volunteers will be put on a monthly stipend.

(edited by Amol Awuor)