I am happy to join you here this morning as the Nairobi County Assembly prepares to resume its sittings for the 3rd Session of the Second Assembly.
I trust that you have had a restful recess, and are now rejuvenated and ready to tackle the challenge of the session that lies before you. Nairobi residents have a lot of hope in Devolution, and you as the representatives of the people in the grassroots have a great responsibility on your shoulders.
It is good that you have chosen to kick off your session by first listening to your clients. ‘What Lies Ahead’ is the theme of your meeting today, and indeed it is important for you to chart your path while always listening to your stakeholders.
We live in a time when the foundations of Devolution were laid, but the structures are not complete. We are at a time when county governments took over devolved roles and functions, but without enough resources to manage them.
Nairobi County Government in particular has been grappling with a huge debt we inherited of Sh60 billion. This, coupled with a huge staff wage bill that takes up almost every Shilling that we collect as revenue puts us in a difficult position.
We have no choice but to be innovative. We must aggressively collect revenue so that we have more than just enough for survival. We need to have enough revenue to settle our debts, and leave enough for new development projects.
It is in this regard that I direct that all sectors must present regular reports on progress towards achieving their individual revenue targets. It will no longer be business as usual.