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How I deal with Sonko: Major General Badi speaks

"Managing the city is just like management in the military" - Badi.

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by CLAIRE MUNDE

News28 October 2020 - 19:23

In Summary


  • •Dressed in military fatigue, the general narrated how he started his job as the director general of the NMS with a focus on sorting out the garbage mess.
  • •Badi, on dealing with City Hall cartels, said, "Dealing with enemies is part of my training... we will deal with them as they come."
Nairobi Metropolitan Service director general Mohammed Badi addresses MCAs in the city assembly on June 25, 2020

Major General Mohammed Badi has said Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has a false perception that he is out to ruin his political career, adding he is focused on improving the capital's infrastructure. 

"He believes I want to finish him politically, which is not true."

Badi said he does not understand the governor's attitude towards him as he keeps blowing hot and cold.

However, he spoke on how he deals with the governor's flip-flopping. "I keep quiet so he will keep on guessing what you are doing... I don't entertain insults... one day he calls me a brother, the next I should go to ICC," he said.

Dressed in military fatigue, the general narrated how he started his job as the director general of the NMS with a focus on sorting out the garbage mess.

"Even before seeing my office... I went that evening to Muthurwa," Badi said.

He spoke during an interview with Citizen TV on Wednesday night.

Badi, on dealing with City Hall cartels, said, "Dealing with enemies is part of my training... we will deal with them as they come."

The General said his job as the NMS boss is not hard.

"Managing the city is just like management in the military," he said.

Despite having President Kenyatta’s full support, Nairobi Metropolitan Services is still facing difficulties.

On Friday last week, Uhuru urged Nairobi residents to support Badi in managing the county.

“I'm humbly requesting you to support Badi because he is doing good work, and let us work together. If Nairobi improves it will be for everybody,” Uhuru said while addressing the public in Pumwani.

 However, it is not a walk in the park for Major General Badi.

The NMS cannot access funds to pay salaries for 6,502 seconded staff.

Last week, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukuru Yatani declined a request from NMS to release funds noting there was no legal framework to facilitate such a transaction.

On September 3, Badi requested the National Treasury to release the money to pay salaries after health workers under NMS held protests over the delayed pay.

Yatani pointed out that Section 4(2) of County Allocation of Revenue Act, 2020 provides that each county governments’ allocation shall be transferred to the respective County Revenue Fund, in accordance with a payment schedule approved by the Senate and published in the Kenya gazette by the CS in accordance with section 17 of PFM Act, 2012.

 "The above legal provisions, therefore, imply that equitable share allocation due to Nairobi City County Government, including monies for personnel emoluments, shall be transferred to NCCG Revenue Fund Account," he said in a letter dated October 15.

This means that Badi can only access money if the county government releases funds to them from the County Revenue Fund.

 


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