Ever wondered why most criminal activities within the City of Nairobi go unnoticed with many cases still remaining unresolved?
Well, it so happens that security devices planted across the City are just put decorations. This is after a senior County official revealed that most surveillance CCTV cameras installed in Nairobi City centre are not working.
Nairobi County Roads and Public Works Chief Officer Fredrick Karanja said that most of the 42 CCTV cameras installed in the Central Business District at a cost of Sh437 million malfunctioned and the county cannot repair them.
Appearing before Nairobi County Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Mr Karanja said that City Hall cannot repair the cameras because the contractor who was awarded the Integrated Urban Surveillance System tender has not handed over the project to the country.
In September 2012, the then Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development awarded the contract to M/s Nanjing LES Information Technology Limited, a Chinese firm.
The project was conceptualised as a security project which would involve installation of security cameras, vehicle number plate recognition cameras, rehabilitation of signalised junctions and construction of one main control centre at Nairobi area police headquarters at Milimani and the redundant control centre at City Hall Annex.
Six years later, the chief officer confirmed that the project is still under the Chinese firm’s control, making it impossible to repair and maintain the cameras.
Mr Karanja said the company wants to be paid Sh7.2 million to repair the cameras and hand over the project to the county government.
“We had pledged to pay before the contractor could resume maintenance works and subsequent handover of the project to us but we are yet to settle the bill and that is why the contractor has not resumed the project maintenance,” said Mr Karanja.