Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja rules out transfer of Nairobi County functions, says garbage crisis to be solved locally with partnerships

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has dismissed claims that his administration plans to surrender county functions to the national government, saying Nairobi will retain full control over its operations, including garbage collection.

Speaking during an interview on Wednesday, Sakaja maintained that his government would instead engage the national government through structured partnerships aimed at improving service delivery.

“Absolutely not! There are no functions that are going to be transferred,” Sakaja stated, responding to questions about a possible handover.

He warned against repeating mistakes from the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) era under former President Uhuru Kenyatta, saying the move left behind pending bills of about Ksh16 billion and several incomplete projects.

“Some work was done, yes, but many projects, including health facilities, were left incomplete,” Sakaja said.

The Governor clarified that any collaboration with President William Ruto’s administration will strictly focus on strategic areas such as waste-to-energy projects, recycling, and infrastructure development, which require coordination with national agencies like the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).

“To sort out the city’s cleanliness, there are areas that require collaboration within the law, but not a takeover,” Sakaja emphasised.

He revealed that the last environmental staff recruitment in Nairobi was done in 1987, forcing his administration to hire 4,000 young people recently to support waste management efforts.

Sakaja added that the county still needs over 100 garbage trucks and more equipment to effectively tackle the city’s waste challenge, noting that delayed exchequer releases have also hampered operations.

President Ruto had on Sunday announced plans for a joint city clean-up program involving Nairobi County and private sector players, saying it was unacceptable for the capital to remain “a city in filth.”