Days after the Auditor General warned on the infrastructural deterioration of the Nyayo house, the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has been forced to swing into action, promising that the government will commence the renovations of the building.
Speaking before the Senate on Wednesday, March 5, the CS asserted that plans are underway to see the refurbishment of the building. Murkomen said that the refurbishment will cover repainting of the building, mechanical repairs including the lifts, and the renovations of washrooms and offices on the 3rd,4th, and 8th floors.
"Nyayo house was commissioned around 46 years ago and currently accommodates over 58 national and county government departments, which offer different services to Kenyans, especially immigration services," he said.
"Previously the ministry engaged the state departments of public works to assess the necessary maintenance works of the Nyayo house and they gave the ministry a bill of quantities amounting to Ksh244,831,860, funds which the ministry does not have at the moment," he added.
According to the CS, the government is currently refurbishing offices occupied by the State Department of Immigration to boost the efficient delivery of services.
"The state Department of Immigration and Citizen Services occupies the majority of the floors of the Nyayo house and all these floors are currently being refurbished to ensure efficient service delivery and a conducive working environment for the staff," he said.
Furthermore, he assured that the refurbishment of offices belonging to principal secretaries and the Directorate of e-Citizen services on the 23rd, 22nd, and 17th floors has already been completed with the offices equipped with new furniture.
Murkomen further confirmed that the government has already renovated and expanded the service lobby on the ground floor which supports passport applications to accommodate more clients.
The CS further noted that the government reinforced the water supply in the building by mounting reserve tanks on the rooftop to ensure that the staff working there have clean water and sanitary amenities.
"The government has ensured uninterrupted clean water supply which runs throughout the week from Nairobi City County. Nyayo house also has reserve tanks on the rooftop of the building in case we experience water supply," he said.
According to the Auditor General's report, two elevators at the Nyayo house were still not functioning despite the government allocating a monthly maintenance fee for elevator repairs in the 2023/2024 financial year.
The State Department for Internal Security and National Administration, the State Department of Immigration and Citizen Services, and the Nairobi Regional Commissioner made payments amounting to Ksh16,767,359 for the maintenance of the elevators in the Nyayo House and the Harambee House yet nothing was done in the two buildings.
The Auditor-General further noted that the prolonged breakdown of elevators in the two buildings may pose a danger and cause inconvenience to staff and visitors accessing the premises.
"In these circumstances, the value for money on the expenditure incurred for the repair, servicing, and maintenance of lifts may not be realized," the report stated.
