Kidero loses grip on cartels, turns to traders to end graft
Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has given up on the fight to rein on corruption within City Hall and is now looking outwards to the public for help.
City Hall has been the centre of criticism over poor service delivery amid rampant corruption among its employees.
On Sunday, the governor took to social media to plead with traders who have businesses in permanent houses not to pay weekly charges to extortionist county askaris.
Mr Kidero said that shop owners who have paid license fees are exempted from the weekly cess.
“As per the Nairobi City County Finance Act 2013, please take note that traders within permanent shops having paid their single business permit are not required to pay a daily or weekly Cess,” read the governor’s statement on Facebook.
Mr Kidero further urged traders being charged the weekly cecs to report to the Trade chief officer Judah Abekah on jabekah@nairobi.go.ke and 0722561284 or to the Public Relations officer Fedelis Mwanza on info@nairobi.go.ke and 0725624489.
The governor urged residents and traders to report any forms of harassment or extortion by council officers.
County askaris for instance routinely obtain bribes from traders and hawkers. Dozens of harassment cases jave been filed by the Hawker’s Association in different police stations in the city centre.
On Friday, 15 parking attendants were arrested for allegedly taking bribes.
The parking attendants were arrested by officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) during a joint operation conducted in collaboration with the Nairobi County Integrity Department.