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New city bus system plan splits leaders


Cracks have emerged over the much-hyped Mass Transit Bus system that has sparked controversy in the Nairobi county transport department.

The 62-seater buses that are supposed to ply city routes from the CBD were to be sourced through a Sh1 billion grant by Netherland-based CDI Global as announced by Transport Executive Evans Ondieki.

However, correspondence to the County Committee for Transport showed that the buses would be acquired through Netherlands-based VDL Bus and Coach under a Belgian soft credit grant scheme.

Makongeni ward representative Mr Peter Imwatoka told the County Assembly that there was need to scrutinise the whole process to ward off any mischief.

“Mr Speaker we need to see the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of that project because it is a soft loan and the law states that any credit acquired by the county must be ratified by the assembly and the national parliament,” he said on Tuesday.

According to the letters dated March 12, 2014 this year, VDL Bus and Coach offered the buses under the Belgium Soft Credit grant scheme in answer to a correspondence on November last year.

The company sought the audience of the governor to discuss the Bus Rapid Transit Programme. This is contrary to the insinuation by Mr Ondieki that the recent matatu strike was the rationale for introducing the buses.

“After the strike of the matatus, we could not watch Nairobi residents walk to work and back home. We want to transform the transport system in the county,” his submission to the committee read in part.