Uhuru seeks Sh26bn for City Hall functions

The newly created Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) has received a shot in the arm after President Uhuru Kenyatta sanctioned an allocation of Sh26.4 billion to run services in the financial year starting July 1.

President Kenyatta has asked Parliament to amend the 2020/21 budget estimates to factor in the money.

Mr Kenyatta’s moves stamps his authority over governor Mike Sonko, who recently threatened to pull out of a two-year deal between City Hall and the national government.

Under the Deed of Transfer, Mr Sonko agreed to hand over health, transport, public works and planning functions to the national government.

The Treasury, in the letter to Parliament, said Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua submitted the budget for NMS after it had presented budget estimates to Parliament.

“In this regard, we request for inclusion of NMS budget estimates in the national government budget under the Presidency,” the Treasury wrote in a letter dated May 10 to the Clerk of the National Assembly and copied to Budget and Appropriations Committee.

The government has proposed to amend the budgets for State Department for Interior, the Presidency and the Treasury to include Sh53.7 billion for post Covid-19 economic stimulus package, Sh26 billion for NMS and Sh1.5 billion for Mukuru Renewal Project under NMS.