Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja on Monday instituted disciplinary action against two county employees on the spot for failing to follow orders.
During the launch of Nairobi City County El Nino Preparedness Plan 2023, the county chief reprimanded the two employees who are part of a cohort of hundreds recruited to clean the city.
Ibrahim Auma, County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Green Nairobi (Environment) had asked all the new recruits to stand up and affirm that they will take responsibility for the cleanliness of Nairobi.
Two of the new recruits did not stand, which infuriated the Governor.
When he took to the podium, Sakaja reiterated that Nairobi County has a certain set of values that must be adhered to by all employees. Discipline, he pointed out, is one of the non-negotiables.
“We will not tolerate lack of discipline. It starts today. When Ibrahim told people to stand and say 'Usafi wa Jiji Jukumu Langu’ I saw two gentlemen who did not stand up,” the Governor read the riot act to the two employees.
“On your first day at work, CECM start them on disciplinary. Either that or you do not get your letters.”
Sakaja warned that despite the employees being recruited en masse, they will be appraised individually and each of them will be expected to prove their value.
The Governor stressed that the County had put in place mechanisms to make sure that no one hides behind the crowd.
“If given a section to work, do your work. You have been hired as an individual,” he warned.
Sakaja tasked Ibrahim, the Green Nairobi CEC, to report to him the action he will take on the new recruits.
Should they not provide a satisfactory answer on why they disobeyed orders, Sakaja directed that they be replaced immediately.
He underscored that the job had attracted 65,000 applicants and it would not be hard to find a replacement.
The officers have been employed in preparation for El Nino rains which are anticipated to last until December. One of the tasks that the new recruits will be assigned is unclogging drainage in the capital.
