By Abdi Ali
Published March 15, 2017
An umbrella association for residents in Kenya has signed an agreement of cooperation with the local Government of Kenya’s administrative capital, Nairobi.
The agreement, that was signed by the Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) and the Governor of Nairobi, is said to be in line with Section 6 of the Nairobi City County Community & Neighbourhood Associations Engagement Act.
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Henry Ochieng, Chief Executive Officer of KARA, said the agreement not only “highlights specific service delivery areas where KARA and the County Government shall collaborate and also provide for the obligations of each party,” but that it also provides what he termed as “a legal and structured framework for implementation of the Act.”
Urging all associations for residents to join KARA as members to enable the Nairobi City County Government to engage the Associations in a coordinated way, the Governor, Dr Evans Kidero, directed that Resident Associations through KARA be represented on various Committees of the County Government so that their issues could be addressed adequately. Some of the Committees on which KARA will be represented include: The Planning Approval Committee; Environment Committee; Transport Committee; and Liquor Licensing Board.
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The meeting, dubbed KARA Roundtable Forum, agreed that a Liaison Committee having representation from the Nairobi City County Government and KARA be established to mediate any emerging issues between associations of residents and the County Government to avoid costly legal actions through Courts of law.
The next KARA Roundtable Forum will be held on June 20, 2017 to receive updates on the steps the County Government of Nairobi City has taken to address the issues presented by Resident Associations and also discuss any emerging service delivery issues with a view to agreeing on the necessary solutions.