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| History of Nairobi |
| History of Nairobi |
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History of the City Council of Nairobi
From 1963 to 2006 |
| As Kenya will observe 43 years of independence on 12th December this year, it is important that we take
stock of the qualitative and quantative changes that the City Council
of Nairobi has experienced within the period. |
| In 1963, the population of Nairobi, based on the 1959 population census,
stood at 350,000 people - growing at an unprecedented rate of over 7%
per annum to the current total of over 3.2 million people. This population
size is contained within an aerial expanse of 685 square kilometres. |
| The City Council of Nairobi took over the running of Primary Schooling
in Nairobi from the Nairobi City Education Board in 1964. Then, we had
schools like St. Peter Clavers started in 1918, Aga Khan 1920, St Teresa's
1925 and Pumwani in 1930. The period between 1953 and 1963 saw a rapid
increase in the number of schools under the aegis of the Nairobi City-Education
Board. Since 1964 to date, the City Council of Nairobi has done a lot
to establish and develop schools infrastructure in the City to the current
200 schools. |
| The Department of social services and Housing which commenced its
activities as an outfit in charge of National orientation with the City
has grown by leaps and bounds into an eight section structure with a
staff strength of 1600 catering for the identification of needs of the
less fortunate and formulation of solutions to address those needs.
The Department has a City wide presence in almost every corner of the
City even before the advent of decentralization. |
| The Department of Water & Sewerage responsible for pumping into
Nairobi over 390,000 M3 of water per day, serves Nairobi beyond its
official boundaries. The earliest water source for Nairobi was at the
Kikuyu springs, followed by Ruiru Dam, Sasumua and more recently Thika
Dam. The department has an 85% and 54% reach in water and sewers respectively. |
| Low cost tenant purchase housing schemes of Dandora, Umoja, Kayole
and Kahawa have contributed enormously to the housing provision stocks
in the City. This initiative has assisted Nairobi residents access shelter,
contributed a lot to the provision of Schools, Markets, Health Centres,
Community Halls. |
| The Department of Environment, prior to its creation through a Council
Resolution in 1996, existed in the form of the Cleansing Section within
the Public Health Department. This is one of largest departments within
the Council with a staff population of over 6000 people deployed in
various areas of the City for Environmental management chores that include
cleansing, solid waste management maintenance and beautification of
parks and open spaces, formulation and planning of environmental matters
including registration of environmental management groups. |
| The Town Clerk's Department, which spearheads the implementation of
Council policy, projects and programmes, is the Council's administrative
nerve. Its structural and personnel strength stands at over 11 sections
and 6000 strong having been beefed up by the decentralization programme
whose main objective is bringing services closer to Nairobi residents
efficiently and effectively. The department has more than 11 sections
dealing with general administration, Public Relations and Protocol,
Printing, Conveyancing , Legal, Catering, Valuation and Property , licensing
dockets. The department operates under my charge with two deputies and
a network of professionals inclined to see Nairobi change to regain
its glory of yester years. |
| The City Inspectorate Department has its humble origins in a two officer
outfit created in the 1940s to control nuisance within the City boundaries.
It now stands out as a fully pledged 7000 strong department handling
with the enforcement of City by Laws, guarding Council premises, cost
sharing monitoring unit, environmental monitoring unit, Council vehicles'
check unit, investigation and prosecution. |
| The City Engineer runs and outfit that plans, constructs and maintains
a roads and footpaths network of over 4000 kilometres, public buildings,
open drains and sewers. The Department adopts roads and also approves
structural plans for implementation. The Department has a workforce
comprising Engineers, Technician, Artisans and support staff numbering
3000 as opposed to its initial 20. |
| Housing Development Department was created with the mandate of developing
low cost housing to plug the housing deficit bedeviling the City. The
Tenant purchase housing stock developed under this enterprise number
over 6000 in the residential areas of Dandora, Umoja, Kayole. The Department
comprises the Technical Units of surveying planning, Community outreach,
Accounting and the related service sections. |
| Physical spatial organization in the City is in the hands of the City
Planning Department which also handles Architectural work, Supervises
Council projects, approves building plans, change of users, extension
of leases, development control and advertising. It has its origins in
the Town Planning Committee formed under early ordinances that run the
Town Council. It boasts a workforce of over 500 professional and support
staff of varying cadres. |
| The provision of all these services depends on the availability of
funds collected through the numerous Council fees, levies, charges and
rates. As we celebrate 40 years of independence the Council is owed
over Kshs. 4 billion in unpaid dues. We appeal to you all to pay to
enable us provide services effectively and efficiently. |
| TOWN CLERK |
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