The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) budget has been slashed to zero for the 2022/2023 financial year, signaling the possible end of General Mohamed Badi’s term in office.
Badi was appointed into office by President Uhuru Kenyatta after former Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko, signed the deed of transfer in February 2020, handing over four key roles to the national government. These were health, transport, public works and planning and development.
"From case studies, we established that cities and metropolis, the size of Nairobi, are best served jointly by devolved units and central governments," Sonko explained why he handed over the roles.
In the proposed budget policy for the next fiscal year, the National Treasury under Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani cut the NMS budget from Ksh26 billion that was awarded this year to zero.
Treasury thus reduced the budget allocated to the Office of the President by the same amount of money, from Ksh34 billion to Ksh8 billion. NMS was managed as a department under the Office of the President.
Badi and Sonko differed in the military man’s first year in office, with the latter accusing the former of sabotaging him and contravening the deed of transfer laws. A reprieve was offered to Badi after Sonko was impeached in December 2020.
This allowed Badi to work in tandem with the new administration under Anne Kananu, who recently assumed the Governor’s position.
In his first 100 days in office, Badi built hospitals, boreholes, repaired damaged Nairobi roads, built pedestrian walkways and cycle lanes. NMS also embarked on the construction of several termini in Nairobi to reduce traffic.
The termini include Green Park Terminus near Old Railways, Fig Tree in Ngara, Bunyala and Workshop Road, Muthurwa and Globe Cinema Roundabout termini.
In September 2020, Uhuru appointed Badi to the Cabinet. He henceforth attended all Cabinet meetings and its Committees, pursuant to Executive Order No. 3 of 2020.
"The Ceremony conducted by the Head of the Public Service was a precursor to the Cabinet Meeting held at State House, Nairobi on this Tenth Day of September the Year of our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty," State House stated.
Uhuru further promoted the Kenya Airforce General to Lieutenant General in the Kenya Defence Forces. This placed him in a pole position to be promoted to Chief of Defence in 2023 when the term of current CDF General Kibochi ends.
“The dream of every soldier is to be a four-star General. However, the position of CDF is only one yet we are four Lieutenant Generals. My chances of becoming CDF are 25 per cent, there is a high possibility I might not rise beyond; civilian life is beckoning,” Badi spoke on his chances.
He is expected to return back to the Kenya Air Forces after NMS expires between February and March 2022, five months before Uhuru also retires as Head of State.
In his previous interviews, Badi assured his critics that he was not interested in political power, but to serve with diligence and discipline synonyms with the military.
"General Badi is not a politician. I assigned him to head NMS, and once he accomplishes his task at the NMS, he will go back to the military barracks and continue protecting our citizens. I'm the one who helped him (Sonko) get elected, but we fell out because he was always disagreeing with people.
“Chaos everywhere. You can now see what our new person (Badi) has done on city roads and cleaning up Nairobi," Uhuru praised Badi on Monday, January 18 in a radio interview.
