The Nairobi Urban Planning Department overhaul by Governor Johnson Sakaja has drawn public attention and sparked mixed reactions, with the County Assembly demanding further action across all sectors.
The governor’s dissatisfaction with the Chief Executive Committee Member for Finance, Charles Kerich, and the Chief Officer for Urban Planning, Patrick Analo, came to light when he suspended them amid an ongoing investigation.
Mr Analo was arrested last week after detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) reportedly found Sh65 million hidden in his house during a raid at his home in Syokimau, Machakos County.
Following the arrest, the governor suspended the entire Executive Urban Planning Committee and ordered a fresh audit of recently approved buildings in the city.
He also reconstituted the Urban Planning Technical Committee, which is responsible for processing development approvals, and proposed the inclusion of an EACC liaison officer to strengthen oversight and public accountability in his administration.
“All processing of development approvals be suspended until the full reconstitution of this committee. All urgent cases will be handled by the County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment and Urban Planning, Patrick Mbogo, in accordance with the Physical and Land Use Planning Act (No. 13 of 2019),” Governor Sakaja said.
Subsequently, the governor appointed Dominic Mutegi to replace Mr Analo, barring the latter from accessing his office, official documents, and county systems.
He also appointed Ibrahim Auma Nyangoya as County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance and Economic Planning while Mr Kerich is involved in litigation.
The governor stated that county officers bear personal responsibility for the execution of their duties, emphasising that every public servant must be accountable for their actions.
“Corruption has no place in public service. Every public officer is individually accountable for their actions and must be prepared to answer to the law where allegations of wrongdoing arise,” Governor Sakaja said.
This decision has attracted mixed reactions from some leaders in the County Assembly, professional bodies and residents' associations who have previously expressed concerns about corruption in the approval of new buildings.
“We appreciate the actions taken thus far by the investigating agencies and recognise that these developments represent an important step toward strengthening accountability and restoring public confidence in planning and development control systems,” the South C Residents Association said.
The association also called for a review of approvals issued during the period under investigation, particularly for developments that have generated sustained public concern or repeated complaints from residents. This should include investigations into projects suspected of benefiting from irregular approvals, unlawful change-of-use processes, unauthorised additional floors, encroachment or non-compliance with planning standards.
The Majority Leader in the County Assembly, Peter Imwatok, told the Nation that all officers had been summoned to enforce the Ombudsman's report, which had highlighted concerns about corruption within the planning department.
“I’ve summoned all the officers on June 10 with a view to enforcing what the Ombudsman said. The Ombudsman raised issues about this office of Planning. The issue is not Analo alone; it involves the entire planning sector, including the director and assistant director who approve plans,” Mr Imwatok said.
Mr Imwatok, who represents Makongeni, alleged that a deputy assistant director was responsible for approving plans within the county government.
“This man is not even qualified to hold that position. What we are saying is that we must confront the situation as it is. The issue of Analo is just the tip of the iceberg. From next week, we will demand that the entire UPTC committee of approvals, from Analo to Ochanda, be held accountable. Houses are collapsing and approvals are being done arbitrarily. The nation is now seeing what we have been talking about as an Assembly,” he said.
The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) stated that restoring sanity to the city’s built environment should be a priority for Governor Sakaja and that the implicated officials should not be allowed to return to the sector.
