City team’s spending hits Sh3.8bn in 90 days

The Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) has overseen expenditure worth Sh3.8 billion in less than three months even as it struggles to find a footing in Nairobi affairs.

The NMS team led by seven senior military officers, with Major General Mohamed Badi as director-general, came to office on March 17 to take up Nairobi County’s four key functions of health, transport, public works and planning.

To start it off, the City Hall allocated Sh3.5 billion for its operations out of which Sh1.25 billion was to finance development projects while the recurrent budget stood at Sh2.25 billion.

Through the third Supplementary Budget tabled in Parliament last week, the Treasury allocated Sh300 million more in the financial year that ends tomorrow. Out of the budget, the NMS is to spend Sh217.1 million in offsetting administrative expenses, Sh46 million on city planning and development, Sh38.5 million for transport while public works get Sh1 million.

The NMS has in recent weeks locked horns with Governor Mike Sonko’s administration over budgetary allocations for the next financial year starting July 1. President Uhuru Kenyatta sanctioned an allocation of Sh26.4 billion to run services in 2020/21.

Last week’s Supplementary Budget came at a time Gen Badi has been complaining that the NMS has been struggling financially.