This archive report was first published on 22 June 2021.
On Thursday, Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) resumed approval of development plans, bringing an end to a three-week suspension. The suspension was prompted by a hacking incident that led to the illegal approval of 18 buildings.
NMS Director General Mohamed Badi assured the public that the loophole exploited by hackers has been sealed. The e-construction development plans application system was hacked, allowing hackers to access the system's Quick Response (QR) code and effect numerous illegal approvals.
According to Badi, the hackers managed to manipulate the system because they had codes for accessing the system. He also alleged that some City Hall staff conspired with hackers to do illegal approvals.
The e-construction system had not been upgraded in the last four years, after it was handed over by the World Bank. Badi noted that the system had not been upgraded since the county took over from the World Bank's contractor, despite a one-year grace period for maintenance.
Some of the hackers have since been arrested, and the system has been restored after being rectified by technology experts from the Ministry of ICT.
