Nairobi Governor Dr Evans Kidero has been in office for about three years. He spoke to Awuor Okundi about his achievements and challenges running Kenya's main commercial centre and the national and ODM politics.
As the first governor of Nairobi City, in which ways, if any, would you argue devolution has improved the lives of Nairobi residents?
Devolution has changed lives in very many ways. For instance Nairobians are now able to access health services faster and for free. Services are now a lot closer to the mwananchi.
This being your third year in office, what are the milestones of your administration? What have you achieved that you are proud of so far?
When I was elected the first Governor of Nairobi, my
mandate was to bring sanity to the
city’s challenges. Solving these after almost 50 years of
neglect was never going to be achieved overnight. Nairobi needs long-term planning and investment — not just today, but for many years to come.
Allow me to go sector by sector to highlight some of the things I have been able to achieve in my three years in office. I was elected on seven key pillars: Water and Sanitation; Transport, Housing and
Infrastructure; Security and Inter-ethnic Relations; Education and Youth Development; Enterprise Development and Employment creation; Needs and Rights of Women; Women & Persons with disability and Management of the City’s resources and Governance.
In health,
Sh8 billion, representing 27 per cent of our annual budget of Sh31 billion, has been allocated to the health sector. This is geared towards laying a strong foundation to ensure that Nairobi residents have a wide choice in as far as health facilities are concerned. Drugs are now supplied on a regular basis in all the county health facilities.
In September last year, Nairobi City County handed over appointment letters to 226 health sector workers. This is part of my election manifesto on the provision of better health care through review of the availability, distribution and staffing of health facilities. This adds to the
211 health workers recently appointed under the Economic Stimulus Programme, bringing the total to 437 appointments in less than six months by Nairobi City County government (NCCG) — the first time this has happened since 1998.
In 2014, I unveiled a 120-bed maternity wing at the Mbagathi hospital (no maternal death has been reported in this hospital in the last nine months). I also donated 20 incubators. Both hospitals have fully functional ambulances. The NCCG continues to rehabilitate and improve Pumwani hospital, the largest maternity hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa where at least 80 babies are delivered daily and are handled by skilled birth attendants. The county government also offers free medical services. An extra theatre has also been added to the facility. In 2014/2015, the NCCG set aside huge amounts for further infrastructural improvement and better service offering in maternal, neonatal and child health services.
In Mutuini hospital in Dagoretti North, an existing building within the hospital was converted into a maternity wing for continued provision of maternal and neonatal health services for the area residents.
At Mama Lucy Hospital, we continue to improve staffing of doctors and nurses to ensure efficiency and professionalism. Monies have been set aside for completion of ongoing construction within the facility.
Ngara (providing maternity services), Karen, Dandora, Riruta and Mathare North health services have been converted into 24-hour facilities. Recently, a 25-bed Sh20 million maternity facility in Mukuru kwa Njenga was unveilled. Pregnant women will no longer have to travel long distances to Pumwani, Mutuini, Mbagathi or Mama Lucy to go and deliver.
Health, whether physical or emotional, should come first for any human being. If these fail we will not have an economically productive population as most of their productive time will be spent in hospitals or nursing illness. It is towards this end that Nairobi City County health services initiated the School Health Programme (SHP), which is divided into three basic categories of curative, promotive and preventive.
This community based health delivery programme was launched way back in 1974 but has been given more impetus and momentum by my government.
One of the main aims of the SHP is to improve and maintain the physical, mental and environmental health of the schoolgoing child. Under this programme falls the dental health service offered by the Lady Northey health dispensary located on State House road in Kilimani area.
Lady Northey has many firsts. For instance, it housed the first governor’s mansion in pre-independence era; it is the only free dental unit in Kenya – most of our prominent leaders have used the facility since its inception; It is the only paediatric dental clinic and it is the only centre that serves as a referral centre for dental students from KMTC, University of Nairobi and other universities that offer dentistry studies.
The facility was recently revamped by
installing three fully functional dental units which are able to offer pulpotomy (root canal in children), root canal treatment in adults, fillings, root canal, polishing and scaling, all at a cost of Sh14.2 million.
DIGITAL DEAL: Nairobi County Governor Dr Evans Kidero with online payment gateway JamboPay CEO Danson Muchemi at the signing of the e-payment solutions agreement at City Hall. Photo/COURTESY
ICT infrastructure
Nairobi City County government launched Kenya’s first county government electronic payment system “eJijipay” in June 2014. This system has brought about efficiency and convenience in the county revenue collection process. The e-payment solution, developed by Kenyan tech firm Jambopay, allows land owners, matatu owners, market vendors, and business owners make payments to the county government using their mobile phones, or with debit cards at selected banks and at independent agent stalls spread across the metropolis.
No charges are incurred when making payments through independent agents, the e-county mobile app and using mobile money, but banks offering the service may impose a charge on transactions. The system is envisaged to bring accountability in revenue collection and minimise cases of corruption by sealing revenue leakages that costs the city millions of shillings every year. The ERP system is being developed and funded by the World Bank.
Master plan
In May 2014 we launched a new City Master plan — the first for nearly 40 years after the central bureaucrats thought there was no need for one at all.
When I travelled to Japan in 2014, I signed a deal to introduce a new mass transit system for Nairobi and the surrounding counties. In July last year, Treasury accepted its implementation to the tune of Sh400 million.
Construction will begin in earnest this year. The Nairobi Integrated Urban (Niuplan) Development Master Plan — a guiding city development framework — seeks to integrate sustainability into development in the city by 2030.
The plan was developed with technical support from the Japanese government through Jica. The Niuplan proposes a sub-centre system as the preferred city structure plan in which residents will be compelled to develop residential places only around a specific transport corridor connecting two strong nodes.
The proposed sub-centres will decentralise business, commerce, and administrative functions to relieve the central business district the current pressure and spur growth across the city.
Under the system, Runda-Ruaka, Ruiru, Ruai, Karen and Lang'ata will be purely residential while the city's offices and commercial buildings will be expanded Eastwards to Uthiru and Kabete.
Donholm and Airport North will be classified industrial and commercial, Ruaraka and Kasarani residential, partly commercial and opened up for entertainment facilities. The railway line will then link all the settlement centres in Dagoretti-Woodley to the CBD to connect with that of Syokimau-Imara Daima-Makadara to the CBD. The railway line from Ruiru will be enhanced to serve Githurai-Dandora-Makadara-CBD.
Urban renewal and regeneration of old houses
The master plan will bring with it urban development and redevelopment of old housing estates within the Nairobi City County. The NCCG recently placed a tender in the local dailies for the development of 100,000 new housing units and renovation of existing homes. The new housing units will house approximately 650,000 residents, with the plan to renovate the existing homes currently on existing estates. Currently, the county government collects rent from 14,000 housing units — some dilapidated.
The more than $3 billion (Sh300 billion) project is slated to be bigger than the Standard Gauge Railway and is set to give Nairobi a major face-lift. Several regions of the capital have already been identified for the construction of the new houses. This redevelopment project will ride on the back of a County Comprehensive Urban Renewal Programme (ECURP).
It is in this spirit that seven quick win projects have been identified to serve as pilots to the ECURP. These are Old and New Ngara, Pangani, Jeevanjee/Bachelors, Ngong Road Inspectorate staff quarters, Uhuru and Suna Road. Other ageing estates targeted are Bahati, Mbotela, Ziwani, Makongeni, Kaloleni, Jericho and Shauri Moyo, which will be demolished and redeveloped to accommodate more home buyers. No current residents will need to move from where they live while construction takes place. Current residents will be able to buy or rent a new unit when they are built at a concessionary rate, which will improve their quality of living immeasurably. The project ground-breaking is set to commence this month.
Water provision
The County government in its 2015/2016 budget has set aside Sh30 milion for the expansion of water provision and sewerage services in all informal settlements. In June last year, the NCCG launched 45 water dispensers in Mashimoni village, Mathare sub-county. These water ATM machines have now edged out vendors who have for long exploited the residents by selling water for Sh30 per 20-litre container. Mathare residents will now be able to access clean and affordable water for as low as 50 cents. There will be no limit to the amount of cash that one can top up, allowing many to make monthly or weekly budgets by simply swiping smart cards at the ATM dispensers and only paying for the amount of water required. This programme will drastically lead to a reduction in cases of cholera as well as completely eradicate illnesses caused by drinking dirty water. More ATMs are set for launch in the coming months.
Roads and street lighting
In February last year, the Ministry of Transport and Nairobi City County government introduced a series of short-term emergency measures to redirect the flow of traffic on Nairobi’s key roads by removing right-turns on selected roundabouts in the city centre.
The roundabouts on Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway will soon be fully signalised with intersections that will unblock a vital artery to our city and drastically decongest the city. These changes are just the first stage of dramatic improvements introduced to modernise Nairobi’s transport system.
The changes are the result of months of detailed planning by world-class professional traffic management consultants to manage the process. Thorough studies with real time simulation were carried out a before a final decision was reached. Though there have been teething problems, especially on Mombasa Road, overall traffic jams in the city have reduced by 30 per cent and we are now seeing clearer roads especially on Waiyaki Way, Thika Road and Langata Road. Nonetheless the NCCG is monitoring the impact of the changes and moving rapidly to respond if there are issues. We brought forward the opening of the Southern bypass by over six months by ordering seven days of round-the-clock emergency works to upgrade the carriage way. We also banned large freights trucks and non-stop intercity buses which clog our roads and diverted them out of the city. These measures are just the first step in ambitious new plans to solve Nairobi’s transport problems. The county government also introduced a new Transport Plan which will help provide a modern, integrated transport system that outlines schemes for upgraded city roads, effective traffic management, a commuter rail network, public bus transit system and a properly regulated matatu sector. Plans are underway for the removal of roundabouts which will be replaced with signalised junctions to ease flow of traffic.
Street lighting
On security, reported crime levels have dropped from 1,200 incidences per month to 300 incidences per month. Security is a key prority as we embark on making
Nairobi City a 24-hour economy. We have commenced the rehabilitation of street lights in the whole of Nairobi City to the tune of Sh953 million. This plan is facing challenges following continued vandalism. At the moment, 433 streets out of 783 targeted have already been lit. Some 9,454 street lights have already been fixed. We will install masts in Njiru, Ruai, Kayole and their environs. The project would be completed by June this year.
It is expected that businesses will thrive and jobs especially for the youth will be created vide a 24-hour economy.
Every street, including roads outside the city centre will have lights so as to support a 24-hour economy as contained in the county government’s blueprint. Nairobi City County is well on its way to becoming the green City in the Sun!
In Environment
The county introduced franchising to ensure standards of cleanliness are uniform across all zones. Though the NCCG experienced a hitch when a section of disgruntled operators went to court, with some residents even refusing to support the programme and instead opted to pay Private Service provider instead of the franchisees. For these reasons, the county government, while implementing her constitutional mandate of waste management found it prudent and justifiable to organise the waste management system by conducting street sweeping, waste collection and transportation elements. The capacities of the Nairobi County’s environment department, garbage collection contractors hired by the county government and licensed private garbage collectors have over the years not been enough to clear all the waste generated in the county. As such a lot of garbage has been left to accumulate.
To address this situation, the department procured new garbage collection trucks that have increased its fleet from 13 to 43 vehicles. This has increased collection from 25 per cent (600 tonnes per day) to 40 per cent (960 tonnes per day), thus reducing significantly garbage accumulation and illegal dumps especially in residential areas and on major roads.
We are also looking into ways of generating electricity using garbage for a healthier environment.
Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and Japan's Ambassador to Kenya
Tatsushi Terada take a look at
the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan.Photo/Courtesy
What plans do you have towards giving the city a face-lift and reorganising the transport sector, which is currently in a mess leading to total congestion? What became of the proposals to have mart buses and the metro trains?
Nairobi City County together with the National government, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos and Murang'a county governments intends to set up Nairobi Metropolitan Area Authority (Namata). Namata will be charged with the co-ordination of the mass rapid transport system which is supposed to be in place by the end of this year. In the short term, we are reviewing matatu routes with a view of introducing diametric routes (routes that cut across the city) to remove congestion. We also have a draft awaiting stakeholder consultation and gazettement.
Matatu owners association, the traffic department have faulted your office over uncontrolled allocation of matatu termini along city roads. Is anything being done to end this mess?
Designated matatu termini were gazetted by the former ministry of local government in 2000.
The county doesn’t allocate terminus. If for instance one buys a matatu, it has to be licensed by NTSA thereafter it is supposed to operate from the designated terminus. Nairobi City County is currently constructing matatu termini outside the Central Business District namely Muranga road, Ngara road, Parkroad, Pangani shopping centre and Desai road. We are also rehabilitating existing termini in Central bus station, Machakos, Hakati matatu terminus and Railways. We will also come up with a traffic management regulation which once in place the police will enforce. We have also engaged the public transport operators to come up with a framework to improve on public transport operations in the interest of public transport users.
Nairobi has launched a platform dubbed digital matatus, according to reports. The launch was done in London during the City Lab conference. When will this platform become a reality in Nairobi?
Nairobi County is the first city to launch the DigitalMatatus system whereby data is collected with an aim of standardising transit data for Nairobi’s Matatu and the city’s decentralized city bus system, making it open and available to the public for the first time. This collaborative project of the Nairobi County, University of Nairobi, Columbia University’s Centre for Sustainable Urban Development, MIT’s Civic Data Design Lab and Groupshot will be vital in the movement to making transportation in Nairobi more efficient and open. Most cities in the developing world rely heavily on informal networks of minivans and buses to bring laborers to work and goods to market. This is set to change thanks to DigitalMatatus. I am glad to note that majority of the groundwork was done by young Kenyans who spent a lot of time reaching out to various stakeholders so they would support the project. Right now, this data is being used by five apps in Nairobi and goes to highlight Nairobi city as the leading communications hub not only in East and Central Africa, but in the whole of Africa. With new high quality data and available technology community, we have developed five mobile applications that provide routing information to the public; Ma3 Route, flash cast, sonar, digital matatu, matatu map and more recently, developed transit apps.
On the war against graft, what is your government doing to address this menace?
Corruption is something we continue to grapple with not only at the county level, but also at the national government level. We are currently creating a zero tolerance environment towards corruption; installing automated systems and processes that reduce handling of cash. Severe action has also been taken against staff members who have been found culpable.
What has your government done to refurbish markets and to ensure better hygiene and increased volumes of trade?
Nairobi City County government has put in place measures to repair and refurbish most markets in the county in order to provide massive opportunity for Nairobians to run decent businesses in the county and earn a living through trade. In August last year, we conducted an inspection of the ongoing repairs of the City market in Parklands after a fire gutted it early last year. Once completed, it will be the largest retail market in the country.
Phase I of City market will soon be unveiled and will be able to accommodate more than 1,000 traders who will be registered using the ejijipay system. The City market Phase I construction includes 12 blocks of open shade and 22 food stalls, while
Phase II of the reconstruction will include 22 food courts, worktops, drainage, two toilet blocks.
Nairobi City County government is currently rehabilitating major markets in the county. These include Dandora, Umoja I, Muthurwa, Burma and Mowlem markets. Plans are underway to construct 10 more markets in the county. All this is geared towards ensuring Nairobians are able to earn a decent living. Sh93million has been set aside for the building and rehabilitation of the markets.
Tell us about the water vending machines and mart cards?
For a long time informal settlements dwellers lacked clean and safe drinking water, therefore in order to deal with this need, the Nairobi City County government in partnership with Grundfos, a Danish water engineering company, moved in and installed the 45 ATM vending machines in Mashimoni village, Mathare sub-county. The machines, the first of its kind in Kenya, uses smart cards with a self-service kiosk that supplies water for as low as 50 cents a litre. Mashimoni residents can now access water by purchasing “smart cards,”
all one needs to do is to store “water credits”
in their smart cards, which they use to purchase clean water.
A simple swipe of the card sends water gushing out of a pipe
into whatever container is positioned to collect it. The water ATM machines have now edged out a cartel of water vendors who have for a long time sold water to Mathare residents at inflated prices of Sh30 per 20-litre container.
What is your game plan for 2017? There are rumours that you intend to shift your political base to Homa Bay or perhaps be President Uhuru’s running mate?
I was elected by Nairobians to do a job and that is what I am currently focusing all my energies on. Just to let you know that I will vie for a second term. Most of the projects initiated will come to fruition in the second term. I might not achieve everything I set out to do in my first term which is usually used to set an agenda and the second term is basically for plans set in the first term to come to maturation. A good example of a leader who never realised his achievements in his first term was former President Mwai Kibaki, look at what he did with the Thika highway which became his legacy. Change takes time.