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CCTVs to watch over Kenyan capital

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 29 – The government has now formed an inter-ministerial committee to oversee the implementation of a National CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) Project.

Nairobi Metropolitan Development Minister Njeru Githae said the committee comprises two representatives each from his ministry, the Police Department, the Office of the President, the Nairobi City Council and the Nairobi Central Business District Association (NCBDA).

He argued that the combined effort of the line agencies would help to streamline the implementation of the project.

"Other countries have really moved far in this regard and have been doing it for the last 30 years. We are beginning now so we are actually 30 years behind," he said.

Mr Githae added that the committee\’s work would be to identify proper implementation mechanisms after which the total cost of the project would be established.  Its first meeting is set for next Tuesday.

"The reason why we have decided to go for Private Public Partnership is because of the delays and frustrations that have occurred. So we want the installation done by the government and then the private sector will hook into the system," he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister asked property owners in Nairobi\’s Central Business District to install their own cameras before the State owned project is implemented.

He added that his ministry had also amended the Nairobi Metropolitan Areas Bill and would present it to Parliament by the end of the year. The changes would ensure that other urban areas were captured in the country\’s development agenda.

"It will give the President the power to establish other metro areas as they develop so that each metro area doesn\’t have to present its own Bill or Act of Parliament," he said.

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According to Mr Githae, the new Bill also seeks to synchronise roles of the various departments in the transport, security and waste management sectors in order to ensure uniform service delivery with the creation of the new county governments.

"For example if one county was able to collect and manage their solid waste and the neighbouring one is not, what will happen? The pollution and stench from the neighbouring county will spill over and it will be such a waste of time," he said.

The minister also accused the Nairobi City Council of laxity saying they had failed to regulate the city\’s by-laws.

"Fights like the ones we saw recently between council officials and hawkers are very crude. Those hawkers are there because someone buys from them so if the local authority did their work we would not see hawkers in the CBD," he said.

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