Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director-General Mohammed Badi is confident of a truce with Governor Mike Sonko on the row over Nairobi City take-over.
This follows a court declaration that the transfer of key county functions to the national government was illegal.
Speaking to the Standard, Badi was upbeat that the 90-day window granted by the Employment and Labour Relations Court to regularise the transfer agreement will be enough to find an amicable solution to the wrangles between the NMS that he leads and the Governor.
“In the judgment, the judge said that due to public interest, there would be no stopping of the services offered by NMS in the transfer of functions. The judgment instructed both parties to meet and whatever is deemed illegal (in the transfer agreement) be regularised for proper paperwork,” he said.
“Everything is being done by our legal team, and we believe we will be able to resolve everything within the set time,” he added.
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On Wednesday, Justice Hellen Wasilwa declared that failure to seek Nairobi County Assembly’s approval rendered the deed of transfer document and subsequent appointments unconstitutional.
The case was filed at the Employment and Labour Relations Court by activist Okiya Omtatah supported by Sonko, who has since vowed to fight to have the agreement terminated, citing frustrations by people close to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
According to Badi, the NMS has achieved almost 100 per cent of the services, goals and functions that were transferred to it (NMS).
“From day one, I was happy to have collaborated with the National Youth Service and all the objectives have been achieved, including garbage collection and cleaning within and without the Central Business District. We have also contracted NYS to do some roads. We are going to expand our mandate and collaborate in other areas of transferred roles,” he said.
The NMS Director General’s tenure is just 92 days old today since the transfer of Nairobi County functions on January 25.
