The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) have started the work of disinfecting public areas in Nairobi. This comes days after lame-duck Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko complained that his Sonko Rescue Team (SRT) was banned from distributing food to the poor.
Members of the SRT, many of whom were also involved in the disinfection works, were also arrested sometime last week for breaking the curfew law.
Through posts on social media, KDF now says it is ‘sanitising public places as part of the measures to curb the spread of coronavirus’.
Major General Mohamed Badi
Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) boss Major General Mohamed Badi took over the running of the larger Nairobi Metropolitan area consisting whole of Nairobi County, parts of Kajiado, Machakos and Kiambu Counties.
Mike Sonko was said to have been reduced to a license-issuer for such petty services as dogs, films etc.
Since then, the two have had one public spat after the KDF guy told over 600 workers from Nairobi County Govt (NCG) to report to work at NMS. Many senior officials at NCG complain that the have been sidelined by General Badi.
Governor Sonko had termed the redeployment of his workers to NMS as a ‘height of impunity’.
Sonko then stated that Nairobi Metropolitan Services and the Public Service Commission have no current jurisdiction over employees of the Nairobi City County Government, adding that the responsibility remains with the Nairobi County Public Service Board.
Major General Badi on his part stated, “Governor Mike Sonko personally signed the Deed of Transfer and handed over the four key functions to the National Government and I’m the one in charge of those functions now. I officially took them over on March 18, 2020 and on top of that, the Nairobi County Assembly had a Special Sitting where they approved the handover of those functions to me.”
Below is the full statement from KDF
KDF DISINFECTS KIBRA STREETS TO CURB SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS
The Kenya Defence Forces continued with its disinfection exercise within Nairobi, that has reported the highest cases of Coronavirus. The exercise is aimed at sanitising public places as part of the measures to curb the spread of Coronavirus.
On Wednesday, 15 April 2020 the disinfection exercise took place along the streets of Kibra and its environs.
The exercise was led by Major Solomon Nchoko who urged the residents of Kibra to observe every measure that has been set by the Government towards eradication of the virus. South – C, Mukuru kwa Njenga and Embakasi village were among the first beneficiaries of the disinfection.
The exercise is a continuous one and will be repeated after a week, a period within which the disinfectant is effective on bacteria and viruses.
Pictures
Some Kenyans have shared their opinion on this particular matter and stated that this is beneath KDF and that they should concentrate on bigger initiatives such as distribution of food.
https://twitter.com/teamtaiwan/status/1250404890045710337?s=20
Opposition leader Raila Odinga early today had a meeting with the Director-General of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services Major General Mohamed Badi, the leaders of Majority and Minority and the Speaker of Nairobi City County.
Mr Odinga directed the county government to give full support to the metropolitan services team to enable it deliver where the county had failed. He particularly directed the county to put all the garbage collection trucks at the disposal of the NMS. This followed complaints by the NMS that it is being forced to make do with only 50 garbage trucks while the County administration is holding onto 300 idle trucks.
