Sonko Denies NMS Boss Badi Access to Ksh250M

The tussle between Governor Mike Sonko and Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) boss Mohammed Badi has escalated over the allocation of health funds.Information made public after a ceasefire between the two parties showed that NMS had been locked out of bank accounts loaded with over Ksh250 Million meant for the provision of health services in the county.Appearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Officials from NMS led by Deputy Director-General William Kangethe and NMS director for health services Josephine Mbae stated that signatories to the bank accounts were yet to be changed.This, they claimed, was despite health being one of the functions that were transferred to the institution. Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director General Mohammed Badi with Governor Mike Sonko at KICC on Friday, August 21, 2020File “Ksh 127M of the sum is held in the Special purpose account (SPA) of the county in the Central Bank meant to benefit health centres is still held by the county and the signatories to the account have not been changed to officers of NMS mandated to execute the function of health,” Kangethe revealed to the committee on Monday, September 28.Another Ksh126 Million was held at the County Revenue Fund which NMS could not access for the provision of health services in the county.The NMS officials appealed to the Controller of Budget and the Senate to compel Nairobi County to release money meant for the provision of healthcare services.The body also accused City Hall of irregular transfers of health officials in different institutions leaving gaps in service delivery.Provision of Health services came into question after a woman was forced to give birth outside Pumwani Hospital after she was turned away by guards during a nurses’ go-slow.The body apologised for the incident and revealed that changes had been effected at the security desk. A screengrab of the incident outside Pumwani Hospital, Nairobi on Friday, September 18, 2020File NMS boss Badi had in June pledged to build 24 fully functional hospitals in Nairobi’s informal settlements particularly at Viwandani, Majengo, Mathare, Kayole, Soweto, Korogocho, Kawangware, Gitare Marigu, Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Mukuru Kwa Reuben, Kibera and Githurai 44.In the plan, Dr Mbae explained that 19 out of the 24 health facilities would be built from scratch while the rest would be rehabilitated.“10 out of the entire hospitals to be built will be level 2 hospitals and the rest will be level 3 hospitals” she stated. NMS Director of Health Services Josephine KibaruFile