Acting Nairobi governor has his work cut out

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura (pictured) was yesterday sworn in as Acting Governor. He will fill the void left by Mike Sonko after the latter’s impeachment by MCAs was upheld by the Senate last week.

Ideally, the deputy governor should have taken over the leadership, but Sonko did not appoint a new deputy after Polycarp Igathe resigned in January 2018.

Sonko had a strained relationship with the national government after the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) was formed and took charge of the health services, planning and development, transport services and public works in February this year.

Despite Sonko’s belligerence towards NMS, it has demonstrated its resolve and ability to transform Nairobi, perhaps even restore it to its earlier ‘City in the Sun’ status. For long, Nairobi has wallowed in filth as garbage collection had practically stalled. Water shortages had become the norm rather the exception. However, that is gradually changing as NMS proves it is equal to the task.  

Unlike Sonko who held the county to ransom, Mutura hit the ground running by signing the governor’s warrant to allow Treasury to release Sh37.5 billion to the county. Sh27.1 billion will go to NMS to enable it complete its projects, and that is how it should be.

Nairobi citizens deserve better services from their county government, yet they have not been forthcoming. NMS and the county government have nothing to gain by working at cross purposes.

With clearly defined duties, the two can play complementary roles and deliver the services for which Nairobians pay taxes.

Wrangles between NMS and the county government have had the undesired outcome of demeaning Nairobi as the seat of the national government and the regional capital. That should now change.