NMS boss Mohamed Badi bans display, sale of flowers on walkways

Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director General Major Mohamed Badi has warned florists against turning walkways and cycle lanes in the Central Business District (CBD) into grounds for displaying flowers and seedlings.

Major Badi, in a notice published in the local dailies on Friday, said such flowers and seedlings should be removed with immediate effect.

He further stated that those licensed to have such displays should place the plants at least two meters away from the walkways.

“Selling and displaying seedlings and flowers on pedestrian and cyclists’ pathways is prohibited and anyone having such plants on Non-Motorized Traffic (NMT) corridors should remove them forthwith. Where one is licensed to have such display, plants should be two meters away from the walkways,” he said.

Major Badi also said it had come to his attention that unauthorized officers are illegally allocating picking and dropping bays for Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) in total disregard of NMS orders to allow review of decongestion strategy.

“No person or officer is authorized to allocate, and or assign picking/dropping bay including parking slots without written authorization from Director Roads, Transport and Public Works upon approve by the Office of the Director General,” he stated.

“Any request for allocation or assignment of picking/dropping bay and parking slot will undergo scrutiny from the committee appointed by NMS to undertake this function. Any purported approval granted without following this procedure is null and void.”

He further added: “Parking, driving or riding on pedestrian walkways or cycle-lanes by motor vehicles or motorcycles is prohibited. Any driver or rider found in contravention will be prosecuted and their driving license suspended and where damage is occasioned to the infrastructure, the violator will pay for its restoration to previous condition.”