Performance in previous city positions haunt aspirants

By Protus Onyango

Majority of those aspiring to become governor of Nairobi have had working relationships with the City Council of Nairobi and some of them are throwing barbs at each other over their role in running the city.                                                               

Those who have thrown their hats into the ring include Philip Kisia (former town clerk), Timothy Muriuki (chairman of the Nairobi Central Business District Association), Assistant Minister Ferdinand Waititu who is a former councilor and Jimnah Mbaru who was once a board member of the City Council of Nairobi Steering Committee in the late 1990s. Evans Kidero, the former Mumias Sugar boss has not had a previous role in the running of the city.

Impropriety involved

Muriuki is now claiming that all those who served at City Hall in any capacity should be denied the opportunity to become Governor.

He specifically cites Kisia whom he alleges did not do an exemplary job as Town Clerk.

Muriuki for example cites the Sh5 billion loans, which City Hall picked from Equity Bank and claims that there was impropriety involved.

“City Hall has been characterised by mediocrity, corruption and impunity. He signed a loan that became an overdraft overnight and allowed City Hall to become an impediment in doing business in Kenya,” Mr Muriuki said.

However Kisia dismisses Muriuki and others who criticise his tenure.

“Those who are bad-mouthing me just don’t have the facts,” Mr Kisia says.

He says it is during his tenure that the World Bank ranking of Nairobi in terms of business friendliness went up.

“We even came up with a web-based software to enable professionals submit their building plans online, resulting in the E -approval of building plans,” he said.

Kisia points out that he was awarded for a good job when he won a World Aware award in London.

“This is a prestigious award whose patron is the Queen of England. I won the award and went to England to receive it because of my good performance at City Hall.

Laughable excuses

He dismisses claims that the purpose of the loan was not above board saying he used the Sh5 billion to save the council from paying excessive interests and penalties on several outstanding loans.

Kisia however admits that there were challenges he faced during his tenure and blames the rivalry between ODM and PNU for the problems.

“Prof Karega Mutahi, the Local Government Permanent Secretary denied me Local Transfer Fund (LATF) money for six months, from October 2010 to April last year. It was deliberate because he knows that no council in Kenya can survive without LATF for three months,” Mr Kisia said.

He also blamed the Government for being slow to implement reforms in the council. “The World Bank supported our reform programme but we didn’t do much because the Government was not serious,” he said.

Prof Mutahi dismissed the accusation saying the PS has no authority to stop money being remitted to any council.                                            

“LATF is managed by the Local Government Reform Programme and not me.  Staff employed under the programme present the list of all the councils that have met the requirements to me for my signature. I can’t deny any that has satisfied all the requirements,” the PS said. He added, “I worked well with my minister, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi. It is laughable that one can now turn around and accuse me of imaginary sins. Nairobi was denied money because it didn’t meet all the requisite conditions. When it did, it got its share.”

Arrogant man

Mudavadi’s Spokesperson, Kibisu Kabatesi told the County weekly “Kisia was an arrogant man who sometimes operated on authority he did not have. He could overlook the PS and the minister and his projects died when he overlooked his bosses”

Mr Muriuki says the position of governor is not for retirees or politicians. “Nairobi needs a hands-on governor who can involve all the stakeholders to rebuild Nairobi and not a boss like Kisia. It should not be seen as a final resting place for politicians. Nairobi needs a chief executive officer who will manage it as a profit-making business entity,” he said.

Rescue council

 “I want to improve the public transport so that it becomes accessible, efficient and affordable by involving owners, drivers, conductors and commuters. I also want to provide employment to the young and elderly, improve education and seek public and private partnership to attract capital to improve hospitals and Mr Kisia dismisses allegations that the Equity loan was not properly utilised.

“The true position about the Sh5 billion is that I used it to rescue the council from collapse and in the process saved money. If I wanted to steal money, I could have done it because I was in charge of Sh12 billion annual budgets. Those who are accusing me don’t have facts and are only politicking,” he said.

The former town clerk says that by taking the loan, he saved the council Sh4.5 billion.

“The Sh5 billion loan saved the council from extremely high interest rates.  At that time, statutory creditors were charging the council 36 per cent interest on its debts.

The loan was used to pay our creditors as follows: LAPTRUST Sh2.3 billion, NSSF Sh885 million, LAPFUND Sh878 million and other creditors Sh862 Million,” Mr. Kisia said.

He added, “The loan saved the council Sh4.5 billion through waivers and credit. This was as follows: waiver of NHIF penalties Sh2 billion, waiver of LAPTRUST Sh1.86 billion, waiver of LAPFUND penalties Sh405million and credit from NSSF Sh276 million.”

Servicing debts

Kisia says, “City Hall had not audited its books for over a decade. The council used to lose Sh300 million monthly due to bouncing cheques. I am the one who initiated the audits and streamlined the cash flow management,” he said.

Kisia argues that for decades City Hall had not been servicing its debts, leading to a financial crisis as statutory obligations went unpaid, retirees spent years chasing retirement benefits, workers were unable to receive medical cover, suppliers withheld services.

He said he also paid Sh500 million to retirees after waiting for ten years and hired PWC to undertake staff verification and staff redeployment.  PWC report which was the subject of media attention brought to light weaknesses to be addressed and new structures to be developed.

The former town clerk also credits himself with reforming the council’s planning department. “Until 2010, the City Planning Department was the face of corruption in City Hall,” he said adding that he is confident of winning the seat on an ODM ticket.

 “I am an ODM life member but will work with all parties because the Nairobi governor is going to work for over 42 tribes from all communities,” he says.