Uhuru makes yet another night tour of Nairobi to inspect NMS projects – Nairobi News

President Uhuru Kenyatta continued his dalliance with Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) after making yet another inspection of projects being implemented by the Major General Mohammed Badi-led office on Saturday night.

The night tour, in the company of NMD Director General Badi and a few officials, took the President through the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), Grogan Road, Michuki Park, Desai and Park Roads projects in Ngara and the Government garage.

INSPECTED ROADS

In the CBD, the president inspected roads and non-motorised transport projects at Muindi Mbingu Street while at Michuki Park, he checked the progress of the project ahead of its opening to the public on Friday, which he will preside over.

At Grogan Road, the head of state talked to people working on the project before heading to Park and Desai Roads where bus termini are being constructed, which are almost complete and will soon be opened.

President Kenyatta drove himself in a salon police car all through the journey with lean security in trail stopping along Kirinyaga road to address a pocket of people who noticed his presence.

The President then went to Government Garage where a dedicated military team is engaged in recovering stalled Nairobi County government vehicles.

The Head of State expressed his satisfaction with the work being done by the new office, now under the Executive Office of the President, and has been tasked with operationalising four county functions of health, transport, public works, utilities and ancillary services and planning and development services.

“He was very impressed with the work going on. We began the tour at 5pm and ended past 7.30pm. He was walking and seeing the progress for himself and not being briefed on the vehicle. He will ask questions, challenge you and talk to those on the ground to explain what they are doing to get the explanation behind every move,” said one of the officials who was part of the tour.

PROJECTS’ PROGRESS

“But this is not the first time he is going around inspecting the same. He has been doing this and we will even be doing ground breaking of construction of the planned 24 hospitals today (Monday). He only comes to check the progress and if we are experiencing any challenges and how he can help overcome the same,” he added.

This now makes the fifth time President Kenyatta is touring the capital. Barely two weeks ago, the President was also spotted driving himself around town making a stop at Railways bus stop to have a chat with members of the public.

This was after another tour of the capital in June accompanied by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga where he went around the City Centre inspecting rehabilitation of roads.

The official said that the President always get daily updates of what NMS is doing keeping abreast of the progress of various projects being implemented by the new office.

“So when we call him for such tours, it is not that it will be the first time knowing about the progress of the projects. Most of the time he tells that that he intends to go around inspecting the projects maybe in a week or so. So we always give him a free cheque that we are ready whenever he is free,” he said.

NIGHT TOURS

About the President’s night tours, the official said it is because of the Covid-19 pandemic and this is done so as to avoid attracting big crowds in line with social distancing guidelines.

“So that is why we wait for late hours towards curfew time when people have already left for their homes so the only people we meet are those on night shift,” he said.

He said the President has directed NMS to do another 100 boreholes across Nairobi, construct 24 new hospitals, embark on more road projects, finish with Mukuru kwa Reuben then move to Mukuru kwa Njenga in the next 100 days.

Construction of 400 kilometres of feeder roads in Nairobi’s informal settlements is in the pipeline with ground breaking of the project set for Lindi Ward in Kibera this coming week or so.

He would later visit other spots in the city before making a stop at Kilimani Police Station to check the operation of the newly launched digital Occurrence Book (OB).