From: odhiambo okecth
Date: Sun, Oct 4, 2009 at 8:52 AM
Subject: City Hall must look beyond publicity stunts to make Nairobi better for all

4th October 2009

In his article in the Standard on Sunday [4th October 2009], Dr. George Nyabuga, the Standard Group’s Managing Editor, Media Convergence, has raised some issues about the City Council of Nairobi that we need to look at critically. The City Inspectorate Department had sent her officers out on Thursday 1st October 2009 on a sensitization tour of duty across the streets of Nairobi where they gave out copies of the City By-Laws to Nairobi residents.

As chair to the Stakeholders Evaluation Team at the City Council of Nairobi, I am encouraged by such a move coming from the City Inspectorate Department for we all know that service delivery has been an issue at City Hall. We also know that City Inspectorate Department has in the past been associated with brutality.

George argues that issuing such copies to the residents and enforcing compliance immediately is a knee-jerk reaction. I beg to disagree. The by-laws have been in place for such a long time, having been ratified and passed at the full council meetings, not this year, but some as early as 1993. The only problem we have had as residents is that we have not taken time to follow what our councilors do for us after we vote them in.

In this area, the press ought to get all the flack; instead on focusing on what the councilors do, the media have only been interested in feuds at the council. They hence fail in their most cardinal duty of informing and educating the public. George would have taken time to find out when such by-laws were passed. Secondly, what has George done in his capacity as a media guru to help educate the residents of Nairobi on the city by-laws? Nothing.

Has George made any attempt to focus media attention on service delivery at the council? No. The only thing we see on television and on the papers are scenes where there is conflict at the council. What happens at other times? George and his colleagues have never been interested, and to this extent, it is sad that he is picking the first stone.

As positive as his comments are, they are not as well informed of what goes on in the council. However, they are one positive step in the right direction that we hope will galvanize the residents of Nairobi into action; knowing what the by-laws governing the council are and creating an interactive feed back mechanism between the citizens and the council.

But as we move to the new era where officers sign performance contracts with set achievable targets, we want to hold each officer accountable to what s/he signed to achieve. The focus is shifting from process to results. If it starts by reaching out to the public and giving those copies of the by-laws, we should all unite and say Amen- for at long last, the journey of a thousand miles has at long last started at City Hall.

On Thursday 8th October 2009, the City Council of Nairobi will be celebrating the success of the 5th Wave of the Rapid Results Initiative at the KICC and I doubt whether the media will be interested in this. This was an initiative that saw 31 sections setting targets in a period of 100 days and doing all in their power to ensure positive results were achieved. These are very positive developments that ought to be beamed live to our sitting rooms. But what do we see; conflicts only. And I want to encourage our colleagues in the media to also change their focus and perception about the City Council of Nairobi. Can the media take a look at the targets and results as set out in the 5th Wave of the RRI and inform the public accordingly.

Can they shift their attention from blame games to success stories? There is a lot of good going on at the Council. Not that they have arrived, but they need our encouragement. We need to commend all the positive work as it happens.

I would encourage the residents of Nairobi to look at changes taking place at City Hall with all the positiveness that it deserves. I for one did not know how City Hall works until I was invited to help evaluate the performance of the sectional heads based on their performance contracts in the year ending June 2009. This makes me be well informed about the City Council of Nairobi and their operations.

Together with my colleagues, we grilled the sectional heads from the 16 departments in an exercise that took one week between 24th – 31st August 2009. We visited sites where we thought service delivery was wanting. Besides being the overall chair to the team, I chaired the team that evaluated the City Inspectorate Department and I am convinced that they are on the right track. We encouraged them to build a positive image with the public as they enforce all the by-laws without fear or favour. And I was happy seeing the staff from the department on the streets giving out brochures to the residents. We must commend them for this effort.

It is sad to note that many officers from the City Inspectorate Department have been killed in the course of their duties to the extent that up till now; some are still suffering the consequences of such events. It is sad to note that this is the department that is by law empowered to enforce by-laws of the Council. If it comes to revenue collection, planning, housing evictions, engineering etc, they come in handy to be on stand by to enforce the necessary by-laws.

Yet, the general public has not taken time to look at the by-laws. What could be wrong with the City Inspectorate Staffers coming forward to inform us of the same? It should be our responsibility to be acquainted with the City By-laws and we have done nothing of the sort, yet, we blame the department when they come out to enforce the same by-laws.

However, George’s article will inspire more comments from the general readership. We will be more than happy to join in and be partners in this journey of hope. We must engage the Council in constructive criticism pointing out programmes that in our view add no value. When they try against all odds, I would expect the media to be in the frontline in complementing such efforts, not casting aspersions. Let us not see evil only in all situations City Hall. Let it be our collective responsibility to move the wheels at City Hall; the Councilor, the employees and the residents, which includes the media.

But the bottom-line is simple; the residents of Nairobi need service delivery, not mere theatrics.

Odhiambo T Oketch
Chair; Stakeholders Evaluation Team,
City Council of Nairobi
Tel; 0735 529 126, 0724 365 557

From: odhiambo okecth
Subject: City Council of Nairobi
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 10:50 AM

There was a very important event at the City Council of Nairobi that was held yesterday, 22nd September 2009 and which was addressed by His Worship the Mayor Mr. Geoffrey Majiwa, the PS Performance Contracts Steering Committee Mr. Richard Ndubai, the Town Clerk Mr. Phillip Kisia and Mr. Odhiambo T Oketch, Chair to the Team of Evaluators. In attendance were the 2 Deputy Town Clerks Ms Jane Ndong’a and Mr. Abdi and the employees of the City Council of Nairobi.

We also had the entire team of Evaluators in attendance.

When people put in some positive efforts in their work, it is important to appreciate that effort. And this is what the Town Clerk convened the meeting for; to appreciate the positive efforts by some staff of the Council. And to encourage the Departments that did not perorm so well to pull up their socks next time.

The City Council of Nairobi has been in the news for some of the bad news. These constitute a very small percentage of all the efforts being put in place. The sad reality is that we have a lot of effort that is very positive that is not being mentioned and that we have some of the best employees in public service at this house that is more often than not associated with acrobatics and side shows from the town fathers.

I want to believe that time has come when we must all join in as stake holders in our city and appreciate the good work that is being done. Let us compliment the good as we castigate the poor show. The irony is that the 6% that is bad overshadows the 94% that is good.

During the award ceremony for the best performers, City Treasurers Department took the coveted number. They were followed by Engineer, Audit, Inspectorate and Public Health Departments in that order. The rest struggled with the other numbers and it means that they must put in more efforts at service delivery to enable them join the top league next year.

In terms of personnel, special mention was made of the top six performers which I want to mention not in the awarded order; Nick Otieno, Eng G Kamau, Jackson Getahi, Dr Charles Wanyonyi, Daniel Kibet and Ekaya Ghonzour. These were the six top achievers with points of 80% and above. This is something that we must applaud and appreciate.

As residents of Nairobi, I want to believe that time has come for us to engage the Council and ensure that officers so employed to serve us deliever on that promise.It does not pay when we complain in a vacuum. Let us all come forward and be proud of our Council.

We live most of our lives here and if it stinks, lets say so. It it shines, lets proclaim it at the roof tops. By so doing, we will keep the sectional heads on their toes, and Nairobi will derservingly compete Singapore and the rest.

Bravo to the team at the City Hall; His Worship the Mayor, the Town Clerk and all the employees of the City Council of Nairobi.

Odhiambo T Oketch
Chair to the Evaluation Team