Big Brother is blind: Nairobians on their own as Sh437m CCTV faulty

NAIROBI, KENYA: The Sh437 million CCTV cameras installed across the city are in a deplorable state and are not working, a report has revealed.

A Public accounts committee also heard that the 42 cameras which are installed in key strategic places such as markets, highways, bus parks and near hotels are out of commission due to lack of maintenance.

An audit report has revealed that the safety of residents may be at risk due to the malfunctioning of the integrated urban surveillance system for Nairobi Metropolitan area which was implemented in 2012. The surveillance system was meant to advance safety and monitor traffic across the city.

Key roads affected include Moi Avenue, Uhuru Highway, Kenyatta Avenue and Tom Mboya Streets which heavily relied on the surveillance system to control traffic.

“No new information has been provided on the status of the cameras that were not functional or whether the requisite equipment previously reported as lacking to enable communication between the control center and several surveillance points,” stated the report by auditor general Edward Ouko .

Adding, “In the circumstances, the surveillance system and security installations may still not be relied upon to enhance security for the county’s residents.”

Transport and Public Works chief officer, Engineer Fredrick Karanja confirmed that the cameras had been rendered obsolete due to lack of maintenance but absolved the county from blame.