President Uhuru Kenyatta continued his dalliance with the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) on Saturday, inspecting more projects being implemented by Major-General Mohamed Badi’s team.
The night tour with Mr Badi and a few officials took the President through the Nairobi central business district (CBD), Grogan Road, Michuki Park, Desai and Park roads in Ngara and the Government Garage.
In the CBD, Mr Kenyatta inspected roads and non-motorised transport projects at Muindi Mbingu while at Michuki Park, he checked the progress of the project ahead of its opening to the public on Friday, which he will preside over.
At Grogan Road, he talked to people working on the project before heading to Park and Desai roads, where bus termini are being constructed and will soon be opened.
He drove himself in a police car all through the exercise and had a lean security team. He stopped along Kirinyaga Road to address a pocket of people who noticed his presence.
The President then went to the government garage where a dedicated military team is recovering grounded Nairobi County vehicles.
The Head of State registered satisfaction with the new city agency’s work, now under the Executive Office of the President.
It is tasked with operationalising four county functions - health, transport, public works, utilities and ancillary services, and planning and development.
“He was very impressed with the work. We began the tour at 5pm and ended it past 7.30pm. He was walking and seeing the progress for himself and not being briefed while in the vehicle,” said an official who was in the group.
“He will ask questions, challenge you and talk to those on the ground, asking them to explain what they are doing at every stage.
“This is not the first time he is going around inspecting projects. We will even do the groundbreaking for construction of 24 hospitals today (Monday). He only comes to check the progress, to see if we are experiencing any challenges and to see how to held.”
About two weeks ago, he was spotted driving himself around town, making a stop at Railways bus stop to have a chat with the public.
In June, he toured the city accompanied by ODM leader Raila Odinga, his partner in a ‘handshake’ deal targeting nationwide peace and development, and inspected the rehabilitation of roads.
“Most of the time he tells us he intends to go around inspecting the projects and gives us a notice of a week or so. We always tell him we are ready whenever he is free,” he said.
On going on the tours late in the day, he said it is because of efforts to curb the Covid-19 pandemic as the President’s presence would attract crowds and cause people to defy guidelines for physical distancing.
The official said the President directed NMS to dig 100 boreholes across Nairobi, construct 24 new hospitals and embark on more road projects.
The team will finish projects in Mukuru kwa Reuben then move to Mukuru kwa Njenga in the next 100 days.
The construction of 400 kilometres of feeder roads in Nairobi’s slums is in the pipeline with the groundbreaking set for Lindi Ward in Kibera in about a week.
The official said the President will later visit other spots in the city before making a stop at Kilimani Police Station to check use of the newly launched digital Occurrence Book (OB).
