Senior officials in Nairobi City County’s Department of Built Environment and Urban Planning are under scrutiny over alleged irregular appointments, prolonged acting positions and questions about their academic qualifications.
The concerns emerged during a joint sitting of the County Assembly’s Lands, Planning and Housing Committee and the Labour Committee, where County Public Service Board Chairperson Thomas Kasowa told MCAs that several senior officers had remained in acting positions beyond the six-month period permitted under public service regulations.
Kasowa said some officers, including directors and deputy directors, had continued performing duties in acting capacities long after the stipulated timelines had expired, raising questions about the legality of their appointments and decisions made while occupying the positions.
The committee was also informed that some officers holding senior positions allegedly lacked the requisite academic qualifications for the portfolios they were occupying.
Questions were further raised over alleged irregular promotions, with some officials reportedly elevated to senior positions without following established procedures governing appointments and career progression in the county public service.
The revelations have placed the department’s human resource management under scrutiny, particularly given its critical mandate in regulating construction, approving development projects and enforcing land-use regulations across the capital.
The Department of Built Environment and Urban Planning plays a central role in determining how buildings are approved, ensuring developments comply with planning regulations and monitoring construction activities.
The concerns come amid growing public scrutiny of building approvals, development control and enforcement procedures in Nairobi, with the recent Eastleigh building collapse intensifying calls for accountability within the county’s planning establishment.
Documents presented before the joint committee indicate that the department has an authorised establishment of 962 employees, raising questions about staffing practices and compliance with public service regulations.
The committee is expected to examine appointment records, acting appointments, academic qualifications and promotion histories of the affected officers to establish whether the county complied with the applicable public service requirements.
Babadogo MCA Geoffrey Majiwa, who chairs the Lands, Planning and Housing Committee, told the meeting that officers serving in acting capacities beyond the stipulated period had continued signing critical documents and exercising powers associated with substantive appointments.
“We must find out how officers who have remained in acting positions beyond the stipulated period have continued exercising powers and making decisions associated with substantive appointments,” he said.
The committee is particularly concerned about whether decisions made by officers whose appointments are irregular could expose the county to administrative and legal challenges.
The County Public Service Board is now under pressure to clarify the status of the affected officers and explain what corrective measures have been taken to address the alleged violations.
The committee’s findings could trigger wider scrutiny of staffing practices at City Hall, particularly in departments entrusted with sensitive regulatory responsibilities.
Among the officers whose appointments and tenure are expected to come under scrutiny are suspended Chief Officer for the sector Patric Analo; Director of Development Management Dominic Mutegi; Director of Urban Planning and Research Ruth Muroki; and Director of Lands Survey Peter Wanyoike.
Others include Assistant Director for Development Approvals Frederick Ochanda and Geoffrey Cheryot, who is associated with legal affairs.