This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
On July 1, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta received a status report on the progress made by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) in regenerating the city. The report came after the NMS, led by Major General Mohammed Badi, had been in office for 100 days.
Speaking at State House in Nairobi, the president praised the NMS for its efforts, citing notable progress in several areas, including the implementation of the Nairobi Urban Mobility Plan, non-motorized transport strategy, and solid waste management. He also highlighted the improvement in governance and transparency in service delivery.
According to the president, the progress was evident in cleaner neighborhoods, young people earning a living, households receiving water closer to home, and affordable housing projects ready to break ground. The president also noted the maintenance of road infrastructure and the development of pedestrian and cyclist corridors in the city's business district.
President Kenyatta challenged the NMS to demonstrate that Nairobi can be a model for the country's post-Covid-19 recovery strategy. To achieve this, the NMS has been tasked with implementing the national hygiene program, dubbed 'The Kazi Mtaani Initiative', which aims to empower and create jobs for youth in informal settlements.
He said, 'The hundreds of young people from the informal settlements of Mathare, Mukuru Kayaba, Mukuru Kwa Rueben, Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Kibra, and Korogocho deployed across various projects in the last three months have shown us that this model is sustainable and will result in life-changing enterprise for our young people.'
The president emphasized the need for NMS to ensure that Nairobi residents live in dignity and have access to affordable housing. He noted that the ongoing slum upgrading and renewal project under the Mukuru Informal Settlements Renewal Programme would be a test case for implementing affordable housing across the capital.
