The Government has stepped-up efforts to improve service delivery and security in the Nairobi North Sub-Region through the deployment of additional National Government Administration Police Officers (NGAPO) and the roll-out of the Huduma Mashinani initiative.
Nairobi North County Commissioner Simon Osumba said the two interventions were aimed at bringing government services and security closer to residents while strengthening the capacity of National Government Administrative Officers (NGAOs) to respond to emerging challenges at the grassroots.
Speaking at Korogocho in Ruaraka Sub-county in Nairobi, Osumba said the sub-region had received NGAPO officers who had since been deployed across the six sub-counties of Starehe, Kamukunji, Mathare, Ruaraka, Roysambu, and Kasarani.
He said the officers had been effectively utilized to support NGAOs in areas where additional police services were required.
“Since their deployment, we have been able to use them in areas where we were not able to get police services and also where the National Government Administrative Officers needed police services,” Osumba said.
The Commissioner said the officers had been supporting efforts to combat illicit brews through joint operations with area chiefs.
He said the officers had also been deployed to conduct patrols, particularly in areas where increased security visibility was required to deter crime and other incidents.
Osumba noted that the officers had been particularly useful in enhancing security visibility within Nairobi’s Central Business District, which falls under Starehe Sub-county.
“Besides that, they are also supporting the NGAOs in patrolling because, as you all know, with visibility, we are able to reduce some incidents which might have happened,” he said.
The NGAPO officers have also been deployed to support operations targeting liquor outlets operating without licences.
Osumba said they had worked alongside other security officers during operations mounted by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) against unlicensed liquor establishments.
At the same time, residents of Korogocho in Ruaraka Sub-county are set to benefit from increased access to government services following the launch of the Huduma Mashinani initiative in the area.
Osumba said Huduma Mashinani would help decentralise government services and reduce the need for residents to travel to central government offices to access essential services.
Speaking during the launch in Korogocho after inspecting the already completed Lucky Summer Senior Secondary School, which is ready to receive Grade Ten students by January 2027, he said the programme would progressively incorporate more services, including those that currently require residents to travel to central offices.
The Commissioner said the initiative was particularly important for residents of informal settlements, where access to government services could be challenging due to distance and other logistical constraints.
He urged residents to take advantage of the ongoing voter registration exercise and ensure that eligible citizens were registered ahead of the next General Election.
Osumba said voter registration in Nairobi had made progress but noted that a significant number of eligible residents were yet to register.
He said government agencies would continue engaging residents at the grassroots level to ensure they were informed about available government services and could access them without unnecessary challenges.
The Commissioner also encouraged residents to make use of digital payment platforms where applicable, noting that the Government was embracing technology to make service delivery more convenient.
Osumba said Huduma Mashinani was part of broader government efforts to ensure services reached people at the community level and urged residents to actively participate in programmes being brought closer to them.
He was accompanied by officials from the National Police Service and other government agencies during the launch, among them Ruaraka Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) James Yagan and Sub-Regional Administration Police Commander Representative Superintendent Musa Said.
The County Commissioner called on Korogocho residents to cooperate with security agencies and government officials in maintaining peace and tackling other challenges affecting the community.
The combined deployment of NGAPO officers and expansion of Huduma Mashinani services is expected to strengthen the Government’s presence at the grassroots by enhancing security, supporting administrative operations, and improving residents’ access to public services across the Nairobi North Sub-Region.
Some of the services that would be accessed by the locals are Social Health Authority (SHA) services, registration of identification cards, and voter registration, among other government services.
By Aron Kinyamasyo
