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The safety of residents in the city centre is in doubt after it emerged that most CCTV cameras are defective.
Of concern is the Sh437 million investment in the Integrated Urban Surveillance System project. It has malfunctioned and wananchi are not getting value for money.
Former Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development, now incorporated with the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Housing, awarded the contract in 2012 to M/s Nanjing LES Information Technology Ltd.
Presently, the city is under surveillance of the Kenya Urban Roads Authority cameras only. The cameras are limited to Ring Road Kilimani, from the Ngong’ Road junction to Westlands roundabout.
A recent report by the County Assembly Public Accounts Committee showed that 26 of 42 cameras installed in major CBD roads such as Moi Avenue, Uhuru Highway, Kenyatta Avenue and Tom Mboya Street are dysfunctional. They were mainly meant to help in traffic control.
Last week, county’s Public Works chief officer Fredrick Karanja said most downtown cameras cannot be relied on to improve security.
He told the committee that the county couldn’t maintain the cameras because it does not own the project. It was never handed to the county government, he said.
Karanja said University of Nairobi students and a county contractor caused Sh7.2 million damage to cameras around University Way and at Lusaka roundabouts. The project contractor demanded that the county pay before it can maintain the cameras, he told the MCAs.
“The county had pledged to pay before the IUSS contractor could resume maintenance and subsequent handover of the project to us. We are yet to settle this bill and that’s why the contractor has not resumed project maintenance,” Karanja said.
The committee found it unusual that the county was willing to pay for damages it did not cause for a project it does not own.
“It is not logical to stall a project worth Sh437 million over a maintenance fee of Sh7 million,” Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok said.
But Karanja said security is a priority and that’s the reason the county pledged to pay for the damages.
Acting chief officer Stephen Mutua said the issue is before the Pending Bill committee. He was, however, taken to task to explain what he meant after PAC chairman Wilfred Odalo, who also sits in the Pending Bill committee, said nothing of the sort is before the team. “You’re lying before the committee,” Odalo said.
Mutua responded that the county will prioritise the issue given that it touches on security
“This is a vital project where Nairobi can get its security guaranteed. So it’ll be reasonable if it was given priority,” he said.
PAC will summon the contractor for the next sitting. The MCAs were also to visit the system’s control room at City Hall.
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