The Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) Director-General Mohammed Badi has led a new onslaught that has seen several people previously employed by Governor Mike Sonko thrown out into the cold.
In a notice on Wednesday, May 13, he announced that going forward, Nairobi's maiden e-construction system and the members of the committees centred around it were suspended pending the adoption of a new system.
"The e-construction development application processing system formerly managed by the Nairobi City County Government (NCCG) is hereby suspended with immediate effect pending development of a new system.
"All development applications shall continue to be substituted to the Director-General of Nairobi Metropolitan Service," Badi stated in the statement.
He further added that the Nairobi City County Pre-technical Committee (NCCPTC) and the Nairobi City County Urban Planning Committee (NCCUPC) were disbanded going forward.
"A new Nairobi City County Pre-technical Committee shall be constituted within seven days from May 13, 2020," Badi announced.
Further, he stated that all applications processed through the e-construction development management system formerly managed by the NCCG since March 18 were null and void.
Badi explained that in the Deed of Transfer between the National government and the Nairobi City County, it was agreed that all development applications including building plans would be addressed to him.
The NCCPTC committee constituting of county technical officers in the built environment was created by Governor Sonko with the sole mandate of recommending development plans for approval.
This was after the adoption of the e-payments by the county in an attempt to automate and make easy access of services for Nairobi residents.
Sonko in 2017 announced that cash payments would no longer be accepted at City Hall and called for the automation of services in what he stated was an attempt to fight corruption.
The streams that were automated included daily parking, seasonal parking, parking penalties, single business permits, house rents, land rates, liquor licences, market rents, miscellaneous, E-construction, fire, health, advertisement, and regularisation.
