The majority of Nairobians support the Nairobi Metropolitan Services takeover of city services, a survey shows.
A report released on Sunday by Consortium of Researchers on Governance in Nairobi showed that 64.6 per cent of those surveyed are for the transfer of all county functions to NMS till 2022.
Some 35.4 per cent of the interviewees are, however, against the idea.
“Those who disagreed cited concern over its effect on devolution and not understanding the main function of NMS,” CoRG Africa team leader and director Ooko Olonde said.
While City Hall, the nerve centre of Governor Mike Sonko offices, has been accused of corruption in the past, the survey showed that in last 100 days, 97.8 per cent of respondents gave NMS a clean bill of health.
Olonde said their survey was “impartial and self-funded,” carried out between June 23-27 to help “assess Nairobi Metropolitan Service performance, with regards to delivery of transferred county functions within the first 100 days.”
The survey interviewed 834 respondents sampled across all the 10 wards. The report cited a “five per cent margin of error.”
Of the sample, 51 per cent were men with a post-secondary education certificate.
The biggest boast to NMS is public works improvements on roads maintenance and garbage collection. A majority of 72.7 per cent praised their work.
“Over half, at 52.9 per cent of respondents, were uncertain about performance of NMS in county health, especially with the current attempt to control spread of Covd-19,” he said.
The survey shows most Nairobians at 69.9 per cent, said NMS was less accessible, with 88.2 per cent saying they have not attended any public participation sessions organised by the new agency.
“There is need to create more awareness on residents to put in perceptive the roles and function of NMS,” Olonde said.
Through a gazette notice dated March 18 this year, Mohamed Badi was appointed as NMS director general after the signing of the Deed of transfer by Governor Sonko to transfer functions on February 25.
Ever since, there have been political intrigues and court battles to ascertain the legality of NMS.